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D E S

PAT

A
R I P

O F

AND THE

O N

Adjoining Parts of SOUTH AMERICA

CONTAINING AN

Account of the Soil, Produce, Animals, Vales, Mountains,
Rivers, Lakes, Sec. of thofe Countries;

Religion, Government, Policy, Cuftoms, Drefs, Arms, and
Language of the INDIAN Inhabitants ;

AND SOME

Parti<:ulars relating to FALKLAND'S ISLANDS,

By THOMAS FALKNER,

Who refided near Forty Years in thofe Parts.

ILLUSTRATED WITH

A New Map of the Southern Parts of A M E R I C A,

Engraved by Mr. K I T C H I N, Hydrographer to His MAJESTY.

HEREFORD

Printed by C. PUGH; and fold by T. Lewis, RufTell-Street, Covent-Garden, London,

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..- ....;-,.:..,.;... on 3VOiq ^(fira nobiioildfjq ' . - -•

c; : ?!f:oor: ^l 2l .Tj^idul lijdl^no nsjjhv/ naod ecd IeiIv/ o5

;j3-!r> •^■?3V!>1 ?d.t isbBOT euohrjD ^d) oj V'oin'-^^- .

xiinlsb^'" 3'i3d en-obsrr srii n-
;3 ii:di ^ciobonoifij or laqoiq ad ^(^rn iE jlj^I ^o a:rar;

fiurn rbiu-

Ju:-

;.-i d;' '

j»fc

CONTENTS.

R E F A

^gS2<5^|OTIVES to this publication Page

g M § Common interefts of Great Britain and Spain
s^^^^ Unhappy diflenlions between them
Remarks on the Family Compa6l

INTRODUCTION.

Of the moflfouthern part of America, defer ibed in the map
Account of the map
Tall Patagonians 26

Remarks on M. D'Anville's map ih,

C H A P T E R I.

Of the foil and produce of the mofi foiithern part of America.

Diftri61; of St. Jago del Eftero*

Travefia,. or Defart without water

Produce of the foil

Algarrova, and other fruit-trees which grow wild

Quiabrahacho, and other timber trees

Fruit-trees cultivated ; wine

Grain ; wax and honey

Saltpetre, great quantities ; ialt country

Cattle and fheep ; wild cattle

Horfes, wild and tame

Gold and Silver mines

Medicinal drugs; remarkable cures

Tea fhrub

Virtues of American tea

2g
ib,

ih*
U

ib,

39
40

41
43
45

* This city, which is north of Cordova, is not within the limits of the map.

a CHAP.

C ii )

CHAPTER 11.

Bejcriptmi of the Indian country, with its vales, mountains^,
rivers, Sic— Great River La Plata^ with its. branches, hfU^
and ports,

Sivers Segundo, Tercero, Quarto, Quinto,.

lyiountains of Cordova and Yacanto

fruitful valiies; farms of the Spaniards

Importance of tliefe countries to Spain-.

Facility of reducing ihem

Cordillera, or White Mountains

Volcanoes ; remarkable eruption

Country of Buenos-Ay res, its rivers, lakes^ Be

Uninhabited plains ; River Saladillo

Eiver La Plata and its branches

Bones and fliells of extraordinary fize

Fifh with fcales

Mfh without fcales.

An undefcribed amphibious animar

Borts in the River La Plata; Buenos-Ayres^

Ciolony of the Sacrament ; Bay of Barragan.

Ports of Montevideo and Maldonado

I^orthern fide of the River La Plata

47
ih,

48:

49?

ih,

ih'i

53,
54:
?k.

57
59
61

ib,

CHAPTER HL.

'Qpntinuation of the dejcription of the Indian cowntry, with its\
vales, mountains, rivers, Sic.-^Tierra del Fuego,— Falkland' s-

IJlands,

Mount of Vivoras and Monte del Tordillo , • 66-

Cape St, Anthony Qj

Country of Tuyu, its lakes, rivers, Uc.^ 68

Mountains of Vuulcan and Tandil 73

Sandy Belart ; Cafuhati Mountain 73

Country.

Cbuntty of the Diuihets ; fait lakes

Hueyque Leuvu, or River of Willows

Red River, or Firft Defaguadero

Lakes of Guanacaelie

Black River, or Second Defaguadero

Rivers Sanquel, Lolgen, Limee, &c..

Lake of Nahuelhuaupi

?eninfula of Tehuel-Malar; Bay Sans Fond ^

Expedition to examine the Coaft of Patagonia

A new fettlement propofed ,

Afacredtree; Defart Coaft

Copper ore; River Gamarones- '

Country of the Tehuelhets; Anta, akmdofitag,

Bezoar Stones

Country of the HuillicHes; lahual, or alerce tree.

Tobacco ; Southern Tehuelhets.

Tierra del Fuego

Account of Falkland's IflandS-

Sale of French fetdement there to Spain-

C H A P T E R IV.

Am account of the inhahitants of the mojl fouthern
America, defcribed in the map,

Moluches, nation ; Picunches, tribe

Pehuenches, tribe

Huilliches, four tribe

Puelches, nation ; Taluhets, tribe-

Diuihets, tribe

ehechehets, tribe

Tehuelhets, or Patagons, feveral tribes

Leuvuches and their Caciques, Cacapol and Can

Wars with the Spaniards

Tehuelhets of the mountains

{■ iv )

Chnlilau-euniiee3, Sehuau-cunnees, Yacana-cunnces
Fabulous accounts of the Casfares

iio

112

CHAPTER V.

7he religion, govermneiit, policy, and cujloms, of the Moluckes

afid Puelches,
Notions of a Deityj creation, and future ftate
Demons, wizards, worlliip
Funeral ceremonies
Widows, mourning, and fepuldbres
Covernment and Caciques
Conimander in chief; manner of making war
Limited power of the Caciques
Marriages; polygamy
Condition of the women

Management of the children
Drefs of the men

Arms, offenfive and defenfive ; ftone-bowls
Drefs of the women

114

ti6

118

119

120

121

122

124

125

127

iK
129
131

CHAPTER VL

An account of the language of the inhabitants ofthefe countries.
Grammatical obfervations, rules, examples, &€, 502

Specimens of the Moluche tongue 342

Vocabulary ^..

PRE-

■_ 1.III— jiut iiiwpBiffiiipjiBl

m^^ ^^>^ mrn mm^ )«^)5( m)^ MM^ ^^5^ 5^^^^ ,^-^;|

R E

A C

I T g lands Iflands IS faid to be in confequence rf
&mm ^ opraon of the late Lord Anfon, who thought
1, r f a fettlement, and the fecurine a good har-
bour for Enghfh fhips, in the fouthem feas ofTmerica
was a proper meafure for extending the commfrre and
manne empre of Great Britain. Ihis coTderarionTn
tZ T '" TW"^' *^' """"y information concernW the

r^^^ J ,. *^ Amencan continent, might be of
fome pubhc utiLty, and might alfo afford fo^e amufe

menttothccunous. Wherpfnrp t,» • " ^muie-

a oerfon who hSr^r^T !' ^^'=°°^>ns acquainted with
Ia UA u ,'^ "^^ f°«y years in South America

and had been employed in furve/ing and maki„rchart:
of the countiy, I obtained the favour of him to make a
map, according to what he had himfelf obfer^ed a^d whaf
he had difcovered from the relation of others? to which he

bSnfs Hrr",f *^'^'?™''^' --^of the Indian nha!
bitants. He has alfo mentioned fuch nartiVnl;,rQ r.f .u

produaions of the country as may be artiSof commert'
or were of femce m his medical profeffion. Sorne akemion
has been made in the language ^and order o? wlSe had

wrote;

( 2 )

wrote ; but nothing has been added to the narrative of the
old traveller.

Another reafon for this publication is, that whenever
a thorough reconciliation takes place between the courts of
London and Madrid, it is probable that Englifh merchants
may be again permitted to carry on the flave trade, and
perhaps fome other branches of commerce in the River
of Plate.

The Spaniards having no fettlements on the coafts of
Africa, where the ilaves are bought, have made Affiento con-
tra6ls ; that is, let as a farm, to merchants of other nations, a
contra61: for fupplying Spanifli America with African flaves.

The Englifh South Sea Company had an exclufive grant
of fuch a contra6l from the making- of the peace of Utrecht
until the war broke out with Spain in the year 1739 ; ^^^
the Company had a fa6lory at Buenos- Ayres, from whence
the flave trade was carried on much more advantageoufly,
not only with the great provinces of Buenos-Ayres, Para-
guay, and Tucuman, but likewife with the kingdoms of
Peru and Chili, than it was by Portobello and Panama.
The voyage is much fhorter ; the climate healthier ; and
provifions better, and in greater plenty ,• horfes and land-
carriage are fo cheap, that European goods may be fent
from Buenos-Ayres to Potofi, and other parts of Peru, at
a lefs expence, and with lefs hazard, than to Portobello,
carried over the illhmus, and re-fliipped at Panama for
the ports of Peru and Chili. Buenos-Ayres, and the har-
bours of the River of La Plata, are not only of great
importance to the Spaniards in the courfe of trade, but
their empire in South America in great meafure depends
on their being in poflefTion of thofe harbours; for their
Ihips going round Cape Horn to Chili and Peru, mull: in that

mmmmsaBSg^

( 3 ) ' :

long voyage be fupplied with provifions in the River of
Opiate, or depend upon the Portuguefe, and put into fome
port of the Brazils.

As it is probable that Englifli fhips may one day enter the
River of Plate, either as friends or enemies, the harbours
in that river are defcribed, and an account is given of the
fifh that are there taken. A plan of "the river would like-
wife have been given, but that there is one already pub-
lifhed in Charlevoix's Hiftory of Paraguay, in which the
foundings were fet down with great accuracy ; but altera-
tions frequently happen in the fand banks of that river.
Since the French and Spanifh Monarchs have entered into
their family compa^l, French trading veifels are often feen
in the River of Plate, and other Spanifh. American har-
bours, and a company of French merchants are faid to have
obtained a grant of the Affientb contra6l. The Englifh
may again be the favoured nation in the SpaniHi trade, as
they were formerly: for of all the commercial treaties, which
the court of Spain had agreed to with foreign nations, there
were none fo favourable as that of 1676 with the EngHfh,
as Sir William Godolphin, the minifter employed in making
that treaty, afferts in a letter to Lord Arhngton.

In order to ihew that there are grounds for the conjec-
ture, that, at fome future period of time, the Englifh may
be confidered as the moft ufeful and defirable allies of the
Spaniards, and on whom they may rely with the greateil
fafety, it will be neceflary for me to exceed the bounds of
an introduftory difcourfe ; but the fubjc6l is interelling,
and what I offer may give occafion to its being treated in a
more ample and better manner.

If the mutual wants, and common interefts, of the fub^
je^ts. of Great Britain and of Spain, are confidered in all

their

mam

( 4 )

their different relations to each other, and to other povv^ers,
it will appear, that there are no two nations in the world, to
whom a perpetual alliance would bring greater and more
permanent advantages. The Spaniards are fo convinced of
the truth of this alfertion, that it has long been a pro-
verbial faying among them, Peace with England and War
xmth all the World; and Sir William Temple obfei-ves, that
the Spaniards, in his. time, placed their hope in England, 'where
■their inclination carries them as well as their interejl. When
the Kings of Spain were more powerful than at prefent, and
when they were So vereigns of all, or of a confiderable p'art of
the Netherlands, there might, on the part of the Englilh, be
fome objeaions to a clofe and lafting union with the Spa-
niards. The vicinity of the Flemifh harbours, and the
manufadures and courfe of trade of the Englifh and Fie-
miih merchants being nearly the fame, were caufes of jea-
loufy and contention, befides many other political views
that no longer exiit, fmce the Kings of Spain have been
deprived of ,all the Seventeen Provinces of the Low
Countries. A milkken zeal for religion has fometimes
prevented advantageous alliances j but that is daily becoming
lefs inclined to violent meafures, and Ids conne£led with
the general policy of the ftate.

The many arguments for toleration, publifhed m this
and towards the latter end of the laft century, though
they have not brought about all the good effeas that may
hereafter be expeaed from the moft beneficent principles
fupported by the cleareft xeafoning, yet they have at leaft
io far had their influence in the councils of Chriltian
Princes, that an union in religion feems no lonaer a mo-
tive in forming their treaties, nor will a difference in divine

worfhip

( 5 )

wTorlhip be the caufe of difcord between nations whole po-
litical and cojnmereial interefts coincide.

Trade is an obje6l, to which the powers of Europe give
great attention, and which ought to be confidered as a
principal bond of union between the Englilh and the Spa-
niards; becaufe th.^ articles of commerce, that is, the over-
plus of tlm produce, <)f Spain and of the Spanifh colonies,
confifts of thiitgs that are particularly wanting in Great
Britain, or are abfolutely neceffar^ for carrying on the
BridjOi manufa^ures, in their prefent degree of perfection.
The wine^ oil, and fruks of Spain, cannot ferve in h^xt&t
for French manufaftures, as the French have thofe com-
modities af their own growth ; ^nd ihey can be brought to
BO market m ftrch quantkies, and fo much to the advantage
of the Spaniards, as to Great Britain and Ireland. This
trade might be extended ; as there are mzny excellent forts
of wine, made in the interior parts of Spain, which might
be exported, if th^ roads were opened, and fome inland
4uti€s taken off. The Peruviaii bark, and many other me-
(didoal df ugs, are brought to us only from Spain or Spanifli
America. The wool, iiik, cotton, cork, indigo, cochineal,
logwood, coc^a n«ut^ and other articles, are fent to England,
as feir as poflihle, in their ifirft growdi ; fo that the employ-
.eaent of the artificer, ^and the profit arifing from his labour,
-center in this kingdom.

The Spaniards have hitherto taken more from England
^a^nd her colonies than the amount of their exports, and the
balance has fe€en|)aid chiefly in filver; which fupplies us
with the cuwejat %ecie and th^ wrought plate, and fupporfis
,^e trade of the Eaft India Company.

It is difficult to ^jiels how far ^e trade may be extended,
.to 4ie .benefit of .both nations ; for we muft imagine that, in

C ' fuch

( 6 )

fuch a vail country as Spanifh America, with fuch a variety
of foils and climates, and in fome parts abounding with
minerals of every kind, new veins of commerce will fre-
quently be difcovered. The falt-petre, and the dried leaves
of the tea plant, which are mentioned in this work, may
one day be exchanged for Britilh manufaftures, inftead
of draining this kingdom of the filver, with which thofe
commodities are now purchafed in Bengal and in China.
The exports from hence to Spain are chiefly Britifh manu-
faftures; of which there is fcarce any fpecies fabricated in
England, Scodand, or Ireland, but what is proper for the
Spanifh trade.

c;: The prefent ftate of agriculture in Spain occafions the

-inhabitants to be fometimes in want of corn, which has

.been often fent from England, and with which, from

hence forwards, they will probably be fupplied from the

Engliih North American colonies. The Spanifh fhips

could not be vi6lualled without the provifions that are fent

from thofe colonics and from Ireland. The Spaniards alfb

take from the Englifh great quantities of falted and dried

,fifh; which contributes much to the fupport of thofe n-ur-

feries of feamen, the Newfoundland and Britifh fifheries.

The courfe of trad^ of each nation no where thwarts, or
is carried on in oppofition to the trade of the other, if we
except the contraband trade from Jamaica ; which 'would
ceafe, or be fuppreffed, as would likewife that of other na-
tions, if the Engliih were favoured in die regular Spanifh
commerce, and the cargoes fent from Europe, in the gal-
leons, flora, and regifter fliips, were fold in Spanifh Ame-
rica confiderably cheaper than they are at prefent. This
might eafily be done, without diminifhing the public reve-
nue of the King of Spain, by altering the prefent compli-
cated

•( 7 )

cated and uncertain mode of taxation, and by abolifhmg
unneeeffaiy formalities, tedious delays, and expenfive ap-
plications to the Spanifh miniflers; which encumber the
licenfed trade, and greatly enhance the price of the mer-
chandize fold in America, and at the fame time diminifh
-the value of what is fent back from thence i which would
be increafed by the quicknefs of the return, much to the
-advantage of- the Creoles, and of the Spaniards them-
felves.

Another caufe of contention was the right of cutting
logwood on the coafts of the Bay of Honduras, which had
long been oppofed by the Spanifh government, but which
was given up to the Englifh by an article in the laft peace.
And difcord may have been prevented by a farther con-
ceffion, likewife obtained in the fame treaty; which was,
the Spaniards relinquifhing all pretenfions to the fifhery on
the banks of Newfoundland. The Bifcayners are thought
ho have been the lirfl; mariners who went on that filhery,
and if the firfi: poffeffion gave any right, it was transferred
by that article to the Englifh.

An attempt to explain minutely every branch of com-
merce would be tedious to the generality of readers; but,
•I believe, the more this fubje6t is examined, the more
■clearly it will appear, that the true commercial interefts of
/the two kingdoms every way agree, or are reconcileable to
veach other. And nearly the fame may be faid in regard to
?ithe territories belonging to each kingdom ; becaufe there is
-, no territory poflefled by the one, that can, in good policy,
i be an obje6l of ambition to the other: for, excepting the
i jock of Gibraltar, there is not a Ipot of ground under the
:. jdominiou of the King of Great Britain, that a patriot King of
. Spaia ought to ^yifh for ; and that fortrefs, and the Ifland of
^ki^itujij^^^ii. Minorca,

i^i—

( 8 )

Minorca, might be corifiderecl, more as ftore-houfes for
the Me<iit€rranean trade, than as military ilations : or, if
they have a hoftile appearance, that may be neceflary^ to
fecure reipe6l to the Britiili Sag from the Barbary corfairs,
and ought not to raife fufpicions of an unfrieodiy di^o-
fition in the Englifli towards tl^ Spanifh nadon. The pro-
vince of Eaft Florida, which was ceded alfo by the treaty of
Paris, in exchange for the Havanna, was of Jitde or no
confequence to the Spaniards in time of peace ; in cafe of a
war with England, that fettlement might have been an
annoyance to the Englifli colonies. But, as it adjoins on
one fide to Georgia and Carolina, and on the other to
Weft Florida, which the French rduLiquifhed by the fame
treaty, it muft have been an eafy conqueik to the EngliiK ;
wherefore the Spaniards, while they wifh for peace witii
England, cannot r^ret the lofs of a buittonfome, defenoe-
tefs territory.

The river Miffifippi is the moft prefer bountEaiy, aiad
the imoft likely to prevent all future contefts. The laTge-
nefs of the river, and the length of its coi^rfe, .makes it ap-
pear, as if formed by nature to let bGui:kds to the vaft em-
pires of Britifh and Spanifli Amei:^a. The preient exten-
fivenefs of the Englifli colonies will probably delay their
defe6lion from the mother country, becaufe it will hinder
the eftabliflament of confiderahle manufa6hinK; for men
will not be inciintd to woilc at the loom or the anvil, for
the merchant or wholefele manuia6i;urer, if they can obtain
portions of land to be allotted to them, which they may
cultivate entirely for their own advantage. The futge6Hon
of thofe colonies to ihc Soverei^ of Gresrt Britain is, in
fome re%e^s, of as much importance to Old ;Spain, as it
is to Old England : foa: whm fte Britifli Americans become

independant.

(9)

independai^t, it will probably induce the inhabitants of the
great kingdoms in Spanifh America to follow their example;
which they will alfo be forced to do, by their communi-
cation with Europe being intercepted ; for North America
is better provided with timber, and all kinds of naval Ibres,
than any other country in the world. A great maritime
power will be formed there, and the people will have that
bold, enterprizing fpirit, with which free governments gene-
rally animate mankind. In fuch circumftances, the Spanifli
Creoles muft have their commerce with the North Ameri-
cans. No treafure could with fafety be brought to Spain ;
the galleons and flota could not often efcape the North
American cruizers, particularly in the windward paffage,
and the narrow channel between the Bahama iflands and
the continent. It feems therefore a reafonable conje61:ure,
that an abfolute independancy of the North American co-
lonies on the government of Great Britain would, in its
Gonfequences, bring about, in all other parts of America,
the fame independancy on the other nations of Europe.
Such a revolution would be fatal to all Europeans, as it
would bring thern back to the poverty of their anceftors,
and leave in the imaginations of many of them the cravings
of modern luxury.

The interefts of the Britifli and Spanifh nations continue
united, both in thefe diftant views, which depend on fu«
ture contingencies, and likewife in many of their imme-
diate and prefent relations to the neighbouring flates.

France is the power, of which both nations ought to be
jealous; an ambitious enterprizing Monarch, like Lewis the
XlVth, would be a moft dangerous neighbour to both
kingdoms. The meafures purfued by Oliver Cromwell,
^r)d by fome gf our Kings, which raifed France, and funk

D the

(

)

the power of Spain, are now perceived to have' been con-
trary to the true interefts of the Britifh monarchy. Befides
their common danger, to be apprehended from France, the
relative^ grandeur of England, and of Spain, depends on
preferving the general balance of power between the ftates
of Europe, and the particular balance that fubfifts among
the Republics and Princes of Italy. The liberty of the
Dutch, of the Swifs, and of the Hanfe Towns, and the re-
mains of the conftitution of the German empire, feem to
be obje61s of great confequence in the fcale of power, ac-
cording to v/hich the Britifh and Spanifh monarchies are
to be confidered.

The harmony, and national union, eftabliflied between
them, would be the fafeft barrier againft any ambitious de-
iigns of the court of France; it would have an influence
m fettling the trade of the Englifh in Portugal; it might
tend to deprefs the infolence of the piratical ftates of
Africa, whofe corfairs have often infefted the coafts of
Spam ; and it might be a kind of bafis, on which the hberty
of Europe, that is, the independancy of the different
powers, might fafely reft. For if thofe powers are convinced
that the Englifh do not defire to make conquefts on the
continent of Europe, nor the Spaniards to extend their
dominion beyond the Pyrenean mountains, fuch a difm-
terefted fyftem will givQ weight to their joint negotiations,
and gain the confidence of other nations.

The principal objeftion to the plan of a lafting alliance
may arife from the wars between England and Spain, and
the almoft continual hoftile difpofitions that have appeared,
ever fmce the Princes of the Bourbon family afcended the
Spanifh throne. This objedion makes it neceffary to ex-
plain in what manner thofe wars were brought on; which

was

(

)

was by a lyftem of policy, that was foreign and contrary to
the true interefts of the Spanifh nation. The fubferviency
of the Court of Madrid to the councils, or rather mandates,
of the French, ceafed on the death of Lewis XIV, and the
Spaniards began to return to a fenfe of their own im-
portance, and their natural jealoufy of powerful and ambi-
tious neighbours : but their Sovereign Philip V, either from
falfe ideas of Chriftian perfeftion, or from weaknefs of
body, or mind, gave up the reins of government into
the hands of his fecond confort. She was daughter of the
Duke of Parma, and, although married to the King of
Spain, yet her mind continued all Italian. It is a principal
point of Italian patriotifm, to deliver Italy from a foreign
yoke, and particularly from the dominion of the Germans;
and this the Queen was ambitious of accomplifhing. She
had another inducement for undertaking a war in Italy,
v/hich perhaps influenced her flill more powerfully, and this
was the providing kingdoms, or independant fovereignties,
for all her fons. Thus the ambition of the ItaHan Princefs,
and the fondnefs of the mother, overcame the fenfe of
duty of the Queen, who dire6ted the government of a great
nation ; for the wars were carried on, and the young
Princes have been fupported, at a great expence of blood
and treafure, without a profped of advantage to the
people of Spain. And as natives might be lefs a6live and
vigilant in projefts that were detrimental to their country,
the Queen appointed Alberoni, an Italian cardinal; Riperda,
a Dutchman ; and other foreigners, for her minifters.
« , The defigns of the Queen were contrary to the political
views of the Englilh, and the fyftem of the great alliance
formed by King William ; but coincided with the intereft
of France; not only becaufe, by thefe means, the court
.V. t of

■ii

of Spain became united with, and dependant on the French
for the accompHihment of thofe defigns, but Hkewife'
becaufe the fetdements on the Spanifh Princes were ' to
be made by driving the Auftrians out of Italy. So by
entering into the views of the Queen of Spain, the French
gained a rich ally, and at the fame time weakened a pow-
erful rival.

On the death of Philip V, the thoughts of making con-
quefts in Italy were at an end; for his fon by his firft
Queen, Ferdinand VI, who fucceeded him, loved the
Spanifh nation, feldom fpoke any other language but the
Spanilh, and employed none but Spanifh minifters. As
King Ferdinand had no children, the Dowager Queen, whole
fons were to fucceed to him, had a ftrong party in the court ;
but neither her influence,- nor all the French intrigues*
could bring him into the war againfl: England ; though they
might prevent that union with the Englilh, to which a
difcerning and truly patriotic King of Spain will always be
inclined.

Ferdinand VI dying without iflue, the kingdom of
Spain devolved to the Queen Dowager's eldeft fon, Don
Carlos, then King of Naples. He was, by former trant
anions, already di^ofed to join in the French interefts ;
but the miniftry of Verfailles propofed binding him in a
Itill clofer union with France, and, for this purpofe, they
are thought to have fet before him the profpeft of himfeif
or his defendants fucceeding to the French monarchy, on
failure of male iffue of the elder branch of the Bourbon
family. The late Dauphin was then in a very infirm ftate
of health, and his fons were reprefented by Dr. Tronchin,
as it is faid, and the French phyficians, as perfons of a
weakly conftitution, not likely to livc; or to leave pofte-

rity.

( ^3 )

rlty. On this a Family Compaq was agreed upon between
the two Monarchs ; by the fecret articles of which k is fup- 1
pofed to have been ftipulated, that the SpaniQi branch of
the Houfe of Bourbon fhould fucceed to the Crown of
France, for want of male defcendants of Lewis XV. The
name of Family Compaft, given to the treaty, indicates
fome regulations in regard to family fucceffions, and would
be an improper title, if there were no other articles in the
treaty, but thofe which have been announced to the public.
The reafon of the articles which relate to the fucceffion
being kept fecret is very obvious; becaufe they are a viola-
tion of the treaty of Utrecht; in vv^hich Philip V renounced,
in the cleareft manner, for himfelf and his defcendants, all
future claims and pretenfions to the kingdom of France.
The French minifter, Mr. De Torcy, endeavoured to^
evade that abfolute renunciation, as may be feen in his^
letters to Lord BoHngbroke; but the Enghfli miniftry in-
filled upon it; and indeed it was the moft important point
that was obtained by all the fucceffes in Queen Anne's war,
which was undertaken to prevent the dependancy of Spain
on the Court of France; whereas the intent of botli the
fecret, and the avowed articles, of the Family Compaft, is
to eitablilh that dependancy.

That there are fecret articles, relating to the Bourbon
Family, may be inferred, not only from the tide of the
treaty, but likewife from thofe articles that have been made
pubhc ; becaufe the two Sovereigns declare no other motives
m thofe public articles, but their mutual regard for each
other, and for the honour of their family; motives, which
can only relate to themfelves, and not to the commerce or
Mutual naturalization of their fubjeas. For it would be
teB hunailiating tp mankind, and debafmg the dignity of

■^^ human

( 14 )

human nature, to fuppofe that no attention is to be giveti
by Princes to the well-being of the people they govern,
or that the lives and fortunes of millions are of no other
confequence in the eftimation of their Sovereigns, than as
they contribute to the grandeur of a Monarch, and the
glory of a Royal Family : and I am willing to imagine,
that fome thoughts concerning the happinefs of their fub=
je6ts are exprefled in the fecret parts of the treaty.

The two Monarchs had an example of the inordinate
defire of family greatnefs in their anceftor Lewis XIV;
who, after the death of the lail King of Spain of the
Houfe of Auftria, v/as advifed by his council to abide by
the dilpofitions made in the partition treaty, and which
would have been much more advantageous to the French
nation, than to have acquired for Lewis's grandfon, the Duke
of Anjou, the whole fucceffion of the Spanifli monarchy,
■under the will of the then late departed King of Spain; but
Lewis determined on what he thought more glorious for his
family, though it involved Europe in a long and bloody
war, which brought his own kingdom to the brink of ruin.
This fentiment was fo prevalent in the mind of the French
Monarch, that he alleged in a manner no other motive but
his own glory, for the war againft Holland in 1672. And
he was offended at one of his fubje6i:Sj who, in fome public
harangue, fpoke to him about the interefts of France, and
the well-being of the ftate ; becaufe it was his will and
pleafure, that Frenchmen fhould have no other political
principles but an enthufiaftic zeal for the glory of their So-
vereign. The Englifhman's love of his country, and loy-
alty to his King, are founded on more rational principles,
and more honourable to human nature. Thofe two duties
are happily united, by our having a Sovereign, \vho has

( 15 )

no interefts that are diftinft from thofe of the Britifh na-
tion, and whofe family connexions engage him in no wars
or treaties that are prejudicial to his fubje6ls, but who con-
fiders the peace and happinefs of all his people as the fole
end and glory of his reign.

Preparations were made for the Family Compaft, by the
French King's giving up the pretenfions of his fon-in-law,
Don Philip, and of his grandfon, the prefent Duke of
Parma, to the kingdoms of Naples and Sicily. The eventual
fucceflion to thofe kingdoms was fettled on them by the
treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, upon the contingency of Don
Carlos, the then King of Naples, becoming King of
Spain; but the French confented, that the Spanifh Mo-
narch might deprive his own brother of that fucceihon,
and afterwards his nephew (whofe mother was daughter to
the prefent King of France), and fetde th^ kingdoms of
Naples and Sicily on his third fon.

In order the more to cement the union propofed to
be eftablifhed by the Family Compa6l, and that the French
Court might give farther proofs of fmcerity to the King of
Spain, the Duke of Orleans, who is next in fucceflion to
the crown if tlic SpaniOi branch is excluded, and the
other Princes of the blood, were deprived of that fhare,
or influence in the French government, to which, by their
birth, and by the cuftom or conftitution of the kingdom,
they have been generafly underftood to be entided. The
lowering the dignity and importance of thofe Princes in the
opinion of the people of France may be confldered as a
part of the fyftem of the Family Compad ; and perhaps
for die fame motives the parhaments, or great courts of
judicature, have been diflblved, and the patriotic lawyers
baniflied or imprifoned ; as fuch perfons may be thought

( 16 )

to be inclined to maintain the validity of Philip V s re-
nunciation, and likewife the fpirit and intent of the Salic
Law, which means to exclude foreign Princes from inherit-
ing the Crown of France.

The Spanifh Monarch has, in like manner, banifhed or
difgraced all tliofe who were riiought to difapprove of the
Family Compaft, and French fpies are employed in
moft of the confiderable towns of Spain, to watch the
difaffefted to this new proje6ied union with France/
Thefe proceedings feem to refemble the conduft of
Auguftus, Anthony, and Lepidus ; who gave up their pri-
vate friendfhips, and facrificed their particular conneaions,
to the fyftem of die compaft of the Roman Triumvirate.
The King of Spain has gone n^uch farther ; for he has made
a kmd of holocauft, or whole burnt-ofFering, of all the
interefts of the Spanifh nation, at the Ihrine of family
ambition. He joined the French in the war againft England,
and ruined his army in Portugal; his fleet was deftroyed
at the Havanna; and, after the taking of that place, all
Spanifh America lay in a manner open, and almoft de-
fencelefs, to the conquering fleets and armies of Britain.

Befides thefe involuntary Iplfes, the Spaniards were, in
confequence of the Family Compaft, to lofe their inde-
pendancy, their cuftoms, their manners, their language,
their drefs, and become Frenchmen ; in order that their
Sovereign might be looked upon as a native of France,
and be acceptable to the French nation. Moreover the
Spaniards, in a eourfe of years, muft, according to this
plan, lofe their trade and their wealth. For the trade and
wealth of Spain, and Spanifh America, being equally
open to the Frendi , as :, to tke., Spaniards .themfelves, the
• !■. ■• :!'-'' ^-^ '■■• French,

( 17 ),

French, being more numerous, more a<^ive an<l indu^lrious,"^
as well as more fupple and infmuating, will, in time, mono-
polize the Spaniih. commerce, to the great difadvantage of
Spain, and of all the trading nations of Europe, who liave
hitherto fent their manufadares, and had a fhare in the
Spanifh trade. The French will want few manufa6lures,
but their own, for fupplying the confumption in Spain and
Spanifh America ; or they will have Eaft India goods fent
from Manilla, in greater quantities than at prefent, rather
than let their European neighbours come in for a part of
the wealth of the Spaniih. Weft Indies.

By fome late ediHs of the King of Spain, the fale of
wool and of raw filk is fo reftrained, that the whole trade
in thofe important articles may foon be monopolized by
French fa6lors ; and, what is aftonifhing, the manufac-
tures of Spain are difcouraged by the government, if they
interfere with thofe of France. Thefe are fome of the
efiFe6ls of the Family Compaft ; fome others may be lefs
perceptible at prefent, on account of the diforder in the
French finances, and the ambidous enterprizes of the
Northern Powers. It is difficult to form reafonable con-
je6lures of what may be the future confequences of this
extraordinary treaty; becaufe there are but few treades or
tranfa^lions, in the hiftory of former times, to which the
Family Compa61; has any refemblance.

The public articles of the Compa6l, in as much as they
provide for the mutual naturaHzation of the fubjefts of
both kingdoms, and the unnatural coalition of the power
and interefts of the two nations, which in themfelves are
very oppofite, feem to indicate a latent defign, that the two
kingdoms fhould be governed by one Sovereign, if the
fucceffion to both fhould devolve on the fame perfon. If

F we

( i8 )

we contemplate the articles on another fide, and as they
announce no other motives for this convention but the
private affe6Hons of the two Monarchs for each other, and
for the honour of their family, they are plainly taken from
the fyftem of Eaftern defpotifm; according to which, the
fubjefts, and all that belongs to them, are confidered as
the mere property of the Sovereign. And indeed fuch a
vail empire would arife from the union of France and
Spain under one Sovereign, as, in the opinion of the author
of the Spirit of Laws, would require that kind of arbi-
trary government, under which there are no intermediate
powers ; fuch as the immunities of the clergy, the privi-
leges of the nobility, and the franchifes of different orders
of citizens; all which, according to that fyftem, muft be
annihilated, and all power and honours made to depend on
the abfolute and immediate will of the defpot. Mr.
Montefquieu has forewarned his countrymen againft this
revolution in their government, and againft the defire of
greatly extending the dominion of their Sovereign ; which,
he has foretold, would be the caufe of fuch a change in
the conftitution of the French monarchy.

The plan alfo of the fe<:rct articles of the Family Com-
paa, on the hopes given to the Spanifli Royal Family of
one day fucceeding to the Crown of France, was probably
taken from Eaftern notions, and from a fimilar piece of
policy of the Turkifli Emperors ; who have brought,
and long retained, the Crim Tartary, in a ftate of vaffallage,
by a Family Compaft with the Cham or Sovereign of that
country ; by which it was agreed, as Mr. Knowles informs
us m his Hiftory of the Turks, ihat the Tiirkifh empire, for
want of heirs male of the Othman family, is ajfured, and as
It were entailed, unto the Tartar Cham, The Turkifh Sultan

and

<— B

( ^9 )

and the Tartar Cham being defcended from one common
anceftor, the Cham looks upon the Sultan as his Chief, or
the head of his family, and by primogeniture inheriting the
rights of fatherhood from their patriarch or firft parent.

There is nothing that has contributed more to miiguide
both kings and fubje6ls, in their ideas of civil government,
than confounding the duties of the child with the duties of
the fubje6l, by a fancied allufion between the power of the
father and the power of the magiilrate. For as all right
and property is underftood to be in the father, and the child
has only the ufe of what the father allots for his fuftenance ;
fo, according to thefe principles, it is contended, that the
Soyereign is the fole proprietor, and that the fubjeft has
oitijy' what the civilians call the uJusJruBus, during the will
and pleafure of the patriarchal magiilrate.

From thefe mifconceived notions are derived the Family
Compa61s, and all thofe treaties which are contra6led on
other motives than the well-being of the people. The
Othman Family Compa6l has long rendered the Crimea
and the Crim Tartary dependant on the Turkifh Emperor;
but yet it may happen that the Bourbon Family Compa6l
may not be attended with the fame confequences in regard
to Spain, as the wealth, the fituation, and other circum-
ftances, of the Spanifh and Tartar nations, are very dif-
ferent. The Spaniards have already refilled againft one
badge of flavery, the wearing the French drefs; and there
are many events that may frullrate the intent of the French
Family Compaft. The three fons of the late Dauphin are
alive, notwithftanding the prognoftics of the phyficians.
If they have male iffue, it may throw the profpe61; of inhe-
riting the kingdom of France at fach a diftance, as to be
jjio longer an obje6l of attention to the Princes of the Spanifh
; Royal

Wim^ -,

(. 20 )

Royal family. Moreover, they'maf "dlrcover, that the
will of Kings, however irrefiftible in their life-time, is
often fet afide after their death ; and diat the law of fuc-
ceffion to the kingdom of France, eftabiifhed by the pre-
fent Monarch, may be as litde regarded as the laft will of
Lewis XIV. I

The neighbouring Powers would, for many reafons, op-
pofe the folemn and public renunciadon-, made in the
treaty of Utrecht, being annulled by a fecret convention.
The French, on many occafions, have been remarkable for
their averfion to be governed by foreigners; which has
been prevented, in regard to the fucceffion to the Crown,
by their Salic law. It is true, the letter of that law only
excludes females from inheriting the kingdom, but the
reafon of it, or the true caufe for continuing that antient
regulation down to the prefent time, feems to be, becaufe
the Princeffes marry into foreign families, and their children
would be ilrangers to the genius and manners of the French
Badon ; which, in the perfon of their Sovereign, would be
very difagreeable to them. It cannot be for any fuppofed
imbecility in the fex ; becaufe the Dowager Queens liave
governed during the minority of their fons, and there are
few Courts where the women have had greater influence.
The males alfo have been excluded, who claimed in the
tight of females, as Was the cafe of our King Edward the
Third. The oftenfible or law-reafon given was, that as
the Queen his mother could have no right, fhe could
tranfmit none to her fon ; but the true reafon feems to have
been, that he Was confidered as an alien by the generality
of the French nation ; and the Spanifh Princes would pro-
bably meet with the fame oppofitlon in the minds of the
people. It may alfo happen^ that, if the prefent King of

Spain

■■a^^SH

■c

Spak- k not influenced by a view of the liiariy advantages
th&t WQiM accrtie to the Spanifh monarehy by a lafting
a'lliail€€ with England/ Ml a foGcefibr may fee his interefts
ifn a different light, or he may be fwayed by the fentimehts
o^f y^e^molt dlicerning part of his fubje^s: fot the coun-
cik)Oftiie Sovereign, even in the moll: abfollite govern-,
me-nts/ afe fooner or later affe&d by the general fenfe of'
tlie nation.' -ron^'^

This is the prinGg)ai res^foh for addi^eiring the public on
this^ fubje£t ; becaufe the iriefGhants and others, who have^
an-intercourfe with the Spaniards^ inay have frequent op^
portunities' of fuggeffing what is here alleged, and many
cither Hiotives that may oceuf to them,, for fixing a kind of
f^ationai complaifance and good uhderianding betweeri
people who can beGortie fo many ways benefa^brs to each'
other. , If unfortunately a war fhould break out, in pur-
ftianeeof the fcheme formed by the Family Compaa, ftilf
the good will of the Sp^^niards might be cultivated, by com-
pailion flieWn to thofe who itiay be conquered or made pri-
Ib-ners,' and by other afts of humanity, to which Enghfh-
nf^n are often well difpofed. We might alfo reprefent to
the Spaniards, that k was againfl: the King, not againft the
Spanifh nation, that we carried oii thh Wat; ih a manner
fomewhat fimilar to the War of the King of Syria agairit
Ahab King of Ifraei. The Syrians were ordered, not to
confider the Ifraelites as their enemies, but to direa their
force againft Ahab th^ir King, who had been deluded by
his falfe prophets'. So- we may affure the Spaniards, that
we are ever defirous of peacd and harmony with them,
a^^hatwe confider their King,- as he feems to confider
himfelf, not as the head and reprefentative of their nation,
but asa-Prince of the Bourbon family, who inherits the

G- Spanifh

Wi'

^.^.

111;!':

(

2 2-

)

Spanifli monsrYchy as a provifion made for a younger
branch of the Bourbons ; or, as the French would exprefs
it, Lamonarchie dEfpagn n efi que I' apanage dun cadet de
la maifon de Bourbon ; but that we have no enmity againft
the people of Spain, and no ambition to poflefs any terri-
tory they are mafters of; that we are fenfible that the em-
pires of Peru and Mexico would be our ruin, and the pof-
feffion of them would probably depopulate our country
itill more than it has the fouthern provinces of Spain,
as our extenfive navigation, and the nature of our govern-
ment, will not admit of the fame reftraints againft emigra-
tions as are enafted in Spain; from whence no perfon can
go to America without the King's Hcenfe. We might add,
that we expea no fubjeaion or fubferviency on the part of
Sjpain, but that each nation might treat according to the dig-
nity of a fovereign and independant ftate; that we afk for
nothing of the Spaniards but their friendfhip, and a mutual,
well-regulated commerce, beneficial to both nations.

The fettlements in Falkland's Iflands, in Florida, and on
the River Miffifippi, may be looked upon as precautions
againlt the too apparent intentions of the Family Compaa,
and the warlike preparations of the Court of Spain. If the
Enghfh nation and commerce were treated in a friendly
manner, and according to that rank, in which a true regard
to the interefts of the Spanilh monarchy ought to place
them, the Spaniards might depend upon both the govern-
ment, and the fubjeas of Great Britain, contraaing fenti-
ments of reciprocal benevolence ; and our naval power,
which 13 now a fubjea of alarm and jealoufy, would
then^, be the proteaion of the vaft Spanifh American
empire. , •

England

iL:

( 23 )

England has engaged in wars, and fpent her ferling;
millions, on the moft difinterefted principles of heroifm ;
there can then be no doubt, but that our brave country-
men would exert their ftrength in favour of a nation, from
whofe alliance and commerce they would draw great and'
perpetual advantages.

INTRO.

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I N T

O D U C T I O N.

Of the mojl Smthern Part of A M E R I;C A, defcrikd

in tht M A P, ' ^^''

g)s()^^g D O not purpofe to give an account of the
)g( I M kingdom of Chili, as Ovales has given an account
€)^)^)3(§ ^^ ^* already ; but fhall confine myielf to thofe
parts I have feen, and to thofe that are leaft known
in Europe.

The feacoaft in the map is, for the moil part, taken
from Mr. D'Anvilles map of South America, as improved
by Mr. Bolton ; Falkland's Illands, from the lateft difco-
veries ; and the Straits of Magellan, from Mr. Bernetti's
map, who was chaplain in Mr. Bougainville's fquadron.

I have made fome alterations in the eallern feacoaft,
which I viewed in the year 1746 ; and about Cape St.
Anthony, where I lived fome years. In the defcription of
the inland country, I have in general followed my own
obfervations ; having travelled over great part of it, and
traced the fituation of places, and their diftances, with
the rivers, woods, and mountains. Where I could not
penetrate, I have had accounts from the native Indians;
and from SpaniHi captives, who had lived many years
amongft them, and afterwards obtained their liberty.
Among many others, from whom I had my information,
was the fon of Captain Manfilla, of Buenos-Ayres, who

H .

w^s

t^u.^

( z6 ) .

was fix years prifoner among the Tehuelhets, and who had
travelled over the greateft part of their country ; and like-
wife the great Cacique Cangapol, who refided at Huichin,
on the Black River. I have endeavoured to draw his like-
nefs, as well as I could by memory. His figure and drefs
are reprefented on. the map, and thofe of his wife Huennee.
This Chief, who was called by the Spaniards the Cacique
Bravo, was tall and well-proportioned. He muft have
been feven feet and fome inches in height ; becaufe, on
tiptoe, I could not reach to the top of his head. I was
very well acquainted with him, and went fome journeys in
his company. I do not recolleft ever to have feen- an
Indian, that was above an inch or two taller than CangapoL
His brother, Saufimian, was but about fix feet high. The
Patagonians, or Puelches, are a large bodied people ; but I
i^ever heard of that gigantic race, which others have men-
tioned, though I liave feen perfons. of all the different
tribes of fouthern Indians.

Ail my own obfer\ations, and my inquiries of other
perfons, oblige me to. reprefent the country a great deal
broader, from eaft to. well:, than it appears in Mr.
D'Anvilles map; which lam notable to reconcile to the
relations of the Indians^ nor to what I obferved myfelf,
with refpe£t to the diffances of places. Even in the Spanifh
country, he is I think miftaken, in; making the diftance
between Cordova and Santa Fe forty leagues lefs than it is
in reality. The road is an entire plain, with not fo much
as a hillock, between thefe two cities; yet no poftboy will
imdertake to go it in lefs than four or five days; and the
poftboys, in that country, generally travel twenty leagues
Qr more in a day.

^mmm

( 27 )

The journey between thefe two cities I have myfelf
taken four times, as well as between both of them and
Buenos-Ayres.

I do not believe that any able perfon has made an obfer-
vation of the longitude in thefe parts, to be depended upon^
in order to fix the difference of meridian of thefe places of
the fouthern hemifphere. And the miftakes of geogra-
phers, in reprefenting this country narrower than it really
is, may be owing to the difficulty of keeping a true reckoning
in failing round Cape Horn ; which is occafioned by the ve-
locity and variety of the currents : A particular account of
which may be found in the Englilh tranfiation of Don
Ulloa's Voyage to South America, voL IL b. iii. c, 2o

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m «

CHAPTER L

O/" ^/z^ Soil and Produce of the moji Jouthcrn

AMERICA.

Part oj-

*^%^^#r

^^^^^. H E diftria of the city of St. Jago del Eftero,
'j^ ^ in die province of Tucuman, is a fiat, dry^
fandy foil. The greateil part of it is coveted
with thick woods, which begin at fifty leagues to
the fouth, and reach to the diftri61; of Tucuman, which is
thirty leagues to the north of St. Jago. They extend to
the eaftward of the Rio Dulce, near twenty miles, and, to the
weftward, as far as the Chaco, which is above fixty miles.

There are fo few open Ipots in this diftrift, and thofe
which are open fo frequently overflowed by the jivers
Dulce and Salado (the fweet and fait rivers) that the inhabi-
tants are obliged to fell the woods, to g^t fufficient Ipace to
fow their chacras. Behind the v/oods, to the eaitward,
towards the mountains of the Rioia, and thofe of the vale
of Catamarca, are vaft plains, where there is plenty of
pafture, but without any frefh water whatfoever, except what
is coile6led in lakes in rainy feafons ; and when thefe fail,
there is great danger of perilhing with thirft^ in travelling
over them. The great number of crolTes which have been
erededj and are now to be feen in thefe plains, are proofs,

I - ho\v

fgggglfglfggf^

tA^

( 30 )

how many have fallen a prey to their raihnefs, in venturing .
upon fo hazardous a journey. This vaft country extends
to near eighty leagues, torn the mountains of Cordova to
thofe of the vale of Calamarca, and is called the Travefia
of Quilino and Ambergafla.

Notwithftanding thefe difadvantages, the foil is not un-
fruitful, when duly cultivated, and produces water and
mufi^ melons, of a prodigious fize, and the beft flavoured
of any that grow in thefe countries. Thofe of Tucuman
are larger, but, from the extreme moiftnefs of the foil, are
not fo well talfed. Corn is alfo raifed here in great quan-
tities, and fent to Cordova and Buenos-Ayres. Cotton
thrives very well ; and indigo was formerly a great commo-
dity in this country, but, through the negle6l of the inha-
bitants, is entirely loft. A fmall quantity of cochineal is
gathered from a kind of low, thorny opuntia, that fpreads
itfelf upon the ground, and grows wild in the woods ; and
much more might be taken, if it was cultivated, and pre-
pared in the fame manner as in Quito, and other parts of
Peru. The foil, with due care and cultivation, will alfo
produce peaches, figs, and dates.

The fruits which grow wild are the algarrova, the miftol,
the channar, and the moliei with fome others of lefler
note.

The algarrova is a large tree in this country, about the
bignefs of a middle-fized oak. It's timber is ftrong,
durable, and largely grained. It's leaves are fmall and
fcalloped ; many of them growing together on one com-
mon ftalk, near and oppofite to each other ; fo that ten or
twenty of them feem to compofe one leaf, as in ihe Ipruce
pine. Its flowers are fmall, of a faint white colour, and
grow in clufters, like currants, but fmaller and thicker,

Thefe

( 31 ) ,

Thefe are facceeded by large, long pods, like thole of
peas, but not fo broad. They are of two kinds, white and
black ; the latter is narrower, but fomewhat fweeter. Be-
fore it is arrived at maturity, it is green, and has a ifrong
aftringency, and a remarkable roughnefs on the tongue ;
but when it is ripe, has an uncommon fweetnefs, and a
Itrong, unpleafant fmell, like that of bugs. This tree
grows in very great plenty, and is a kind of fweet acacia, be-
ins like to the acacia arabica. The inhabitants make a
confiderable harvefl: of the fruit, which is a great part oi
their fullenance. They reduce it to flour, and fometimes
mix it with that of Indian wheat : when diluted with cold
water, they call it anapa. The flour alone, which is very
gummy, and flicks together, they prefs into cakes, or fquare
boxes, and preferve it for food : this they call patay. Of
the pods bruifed they make a very ftrong drink, or chica,
by letting it ftand, from twelve to twenty-four hours, in-
fufed in a flifhcient quantity of cold water ; in which time
It ferments, becomes very ftrong and heady, and occafions
heavy drunkennefs. A great quantity of proof fpirit might
be drawn from this chica ; but the inhabitants are not fuf-
ficiently fkilful for that purpofe. More to the fouthward,
this tree does not grow fo large, and in the country of the
Tehuelhets, it dwindles to a fmall fhrub, not more than a
yard in height. I have feen the fruit of this tree given, in
confumpdons arifing from profufe fweats, and heftics,
either in patay or chica, with great fuccefs ; nor are thole
diforders common among the people who ufe it for food.

There is another fpecies of this kind of tree, which I
take to be the true acacia of the Arabs. It's leaves are like
thofe of the algarrova, but the flower and fruit are very
different The flowers are of a fine yellow colour, very

fmall.

^m-.

(

)

fmall, grow together in a round heap, and have a Verv
aromatK: fmell. The pods are thicker, very black, with
feds hke lentils but harder. They have a gummy qua-
il y, a ltrong,aIlrmgent tafte, and, with copperas, make a
black ink, dymg cloth and linen black ; for which purpofe
they are ufed by the inhabitants. The wood is more firm
and rts colour is of a deeper red, than that of the kl^ar'
rova, and it weeps a gum, exaftly the fame as the common
gum arable.

There is a third fort, that is not fo lofty, whofe pod is of
a dull red, inclining fomewhat to brown; it is neither
altringent nor fweet; but the natives make a chicha of it,
With which they cure themfelves of the lues venerea. It's
operation is fudorific, and I have fometimes knovm cures
perlormed by it, which in England would have required a
lalivation. ^

1 have alfo k^n a fourth kind of thefe pods, which
came from the Chaco, and were much larger and ftroncrer,
cmd their colour was of a deeper red, than any of the former
ihcy were very aftringent and balfamic, had a flron^
imell, like cyprefs wood, and were the fruit (as the mit
iionary who brought them aiTured me) of a large, thorny
tree, without leaves. I believe that they are balfamic
altringent vulneraries, and might be of great ufe in phyfic'
at leaft in outward applications. '

^ The miftol is, in this country, a low, knotty, crooked tree ^
m hotter countries it grows taller and more ftraight ; and in
the colder parts, to the fouth of St. Jago, it does not grow
at all. Ihe Indians ufe it for their lances, it being a very
heavy and tough wood. It bears a fruit of a red colour
as big as a chefnut ; the cordcal part of which is very thin'
and It contains a large, hard ftone. The natives eat the

rind,

r-.

! !

' ( 33 )

iind, and the Ihiall qusintky of fleili that is under it, and
iikewiie make a chica of it, which is very fweet.

The channar, in die warmer climates, is a thick, tall
tree, though not fo large as here, more to the fouth. It's
braiKhes are Vscry crooked and thorny. It's trunk is always
green, and has a thin bark, like parchment, that dries,
j>eels off, and is fucceeded by a new one. It makes good
iire and charcoal. It's wood is hard and firm, inclining to
a )'ellow colour. The Indians ufe it chiefly for ftirrups,
though it feems capable of other ufes, fuch as building,
&c. It's leaves are fmall and oval ; it's fruit is like that of
ihemiftol, though lefs; neither is it fo fweet, or of fo red
a colour. It's ufes are the fame as thofe of the miftol.

The molie is a great tree, not to be found to the fouth
of tlie Province of Tucuman. The timber of this tree is
of a very fine grain, and extremely beaudful ; but of little
ufe, on account of it's being fo very fubje6l to be worm-
eaten. There are two forts of it ; one, which has a leaf of
the bignefs of a bay leaf, and bearing a refemblance to it ;
the other is exa6tly the fame, only fmaller. They are both
evergreens, and their leaves, when bruifed, ferve to tan
the fine goatfkin leather, made in this country. Their
trunks weep a confiderable quantity of gum, which is ufed
as incenfe, being very odoriferous. That with the larger
leaves bears great plenty of a black fruit, which, when ripe,
has a (kin of a very light blue colour, almoft white. It is
about the fize of a currant, and many of them grow in a
clufter, like cherries. They are even fweeter than the al-
garrova; and, being boiled in water, they produce an
extraa or fyrup, very fweet, and hot in the mouth ; being
fteeped in water, they make a chicha, much ftronger than
that of the algarrova, both in tafte and fmell. The drunken-

K. nefs

( 34 )

nefs it occafions generally lafts two or three days, and gives
a wild, glaring appearance, to the eyes of thofe who are
intoxicated with it : a certain proof of the ftrength and
quantity of the Ipirit it contains.

There are many other very beautiful and ufeful trees,
and of a vaft height, that grow chiefly in the deep vales,
and breaks of the high mountains : among which are the
white and red quiabrahacho, the viraro, the lapacho, the
cedar, the timbo, the wild walnut-tree j together with the
laurel and the willow. Thefe laft grow there very tall and
thick, but are not of much ufe.

The white and red quiabrahacho (or break-axe) fo called
from their extreme hardnefs, grow in the woods, in the
plain countries northward of Cordova. In St. Jago they
grow to the height of eight or ten yards, very ftraight, and
proportionably thick. The former of thefe trees has leaves
refembling thofe of our box, but fomething larger, with a
Iharp, thorny point: the wood being alfo like boxwood, but
of a red colour at the heart. It is very good timber, of a
fine grain, but very brittle, hard to work, and exceedingly
heavy. The latter is a different kind of tree. It's leaves grow
in the manner of thofe of the yew tree ; it is more lofty and
heavier than the white quiabrahacho ; and it's timber is as
red as blood, and can only be worked while it is green ;
for after it has been kept fome time, it becomes fo very
hard, that no tool can touch it. In hardnefs and colour it
bears fo flrong a refemblance to red marble, that it is a dif-
licult matter to diftinguifh them.

The viraro affords a wood of a white colour, like our
elm, and is ufed for beams, or any other Ihch purpofes.
it is very durable, and is eafy to be worked.

The

h t

( 35 )

The lapacho is one of the moft valuable timber trees of
thefe countries. I never faw it growing, but have often
feen large beams, Sec. of it, of eight or mne yards m^
lenoth which were to be fent into Spam, for the uie ot
thefr oil-mills, to crufh the olives. The timber is of a
duflvy, green colour, has a good grain, and is not fo brittle
as the 'quiabrahacho, but is very hard and heavy.

The cedars are like ours. The timbo is a kmd oi
coarfe cedar, which grows on the banks of rivers.

The wild walnut-trees are very large and lofty. I have
feen fome that were brought, worked and fquared, from
Tucuman, which meafured twelve yards in length. They
bear no fruit, and their leaf is like that of our walnut-tree,
but fomething bigger. In fome of the deep valhes among
the mountains, I have feen cedars and wild walnut-trees,
that I judged might meafure from fifteen to twenty yards m
heicrht, as ftraight as an arrow. All thefe grow wild ; with
many other excellent timber trees, almoft all of which bear
thorns. Among which it may not be improper to mention
the lanza; fo called, becaufe of this the natives make fpears
and lances. This tree is of a yellow colour, very ftraight, is
excellent timber, and makes the beft axle-trees for carts and

iP O r! (^ h 6* s

The inhabitants cultivate many fruit trees which grow
wild in Paraguay, as lemons, and oranges both fweet and
four. Peaches, both cultivated and wild, are in great
abundance. In Cordova and Mendoza, they have apples
and pears of many kinds, pomegranates, apricots, plums,
and cherries. In fome places, figs almoft grow wild, or at
leaft with very little culture; and alfo the Indian fig.^ This
country, in fome parts of it, produces vines ; which in
Mendoza, Rioia, and San Juan, are very much cultivated ;

( 3^" ) .

asaifom the v-ale of Catamarca, and at Cordova, where
there are feme few vineyards. The wine which is produced
Js pardy for private ufe, and partly to fell at Buenos- Ayres
rucuman, Salta, Injuy, &c. This commodity is fome:

ior tae heavy taxes it pays, in the cities to which it is fent
flourr;. f/»°ft^" manner of grain, is cultivated, and
Houriflies m the junfdiftions of Cordova, St. Ta^o, and
Rioia, when it can be watered ; and likewife in Buenos-
Ayres and Santa Fe if the year is not too dry. This article
mignt be m great plenty ; and very great quantities might

fotf^^rtT'V^ *'=''°«h; but the Indians do not
iow. The Moluches alone clean the earth a little, without
ploughing, and fet as much as they are able to cut with
their knives In Tucuman, the country is too moift for
corn ; but the inhabitants gather great crops of maize, or
Indian wheat, which they exchange for corn with thofe of
b... Jago.

One of the chief articles of commerce at St. Ta^o is
wax and honey ; which are found, in great plenty, in the
vaft woods on the other fide of the river Saladi. Great
quantities of thefe commodities are taken from the hollow
parts of decayed trees, and fold all over the neighbouring
provinces. There is likewife a kind of honey, called al-
pamifqua made by a very fmall bee. It is worked in
holes under ground, in ftony countries ; it's tafte is a four
Iweet; it is very diuretic, and extremely good for the ftone
and gravel.

Another, and a very confiderable produft of this country
(though as yet unnoticed) is faltpetre; which might be ga-
thered in vaft quantities, if diligently attended to; as there
IS an immenfe traft of felt territory, of about two hundred

■■■

( 37 )

or two hundred and fifty leagues in lengtli, and from forty
to fifty leagues wide. It begins at about twelve leagues to
the north of the mountains of the Vuulcan, and extends
itfelf in breadth to Cape St. Anthony. It takes in all the
jurifdiftion of Buenos-Ayres, and the fouth and weft fide of
the river of Plata, and, leaving Cordova to the weft, runs
through all the territory of Santa Fe, as far as the city of
the Corientes, at the junftion of the famous rivers of Para-
guay and Parana. It's breadth is here fo very extenfive, as
to comprehend all that part of the diftrift of St. Jago, which
lies to the weft of the river Duke, and all the plain country
of Rioia, as far as th6 limits of the vale of Catamarca. This
is evident, from the brackifh tafte of all the brooks and
rivers which pafs through this fait foil; whofe waters are
not fit to be drunk, till they enter the Parana. All the
fprings in this great tra6l of country are more or lefs fait.
But the rivers which flow from the mountains of Cordova,
Tucuman, Choromoros, and Anconquixa, are excellent
water where they firft break forth, and continue fo for
many leagues ; when they either reach the Parana, or , are
fwallowed up in the fait lakes. A confiderable quantity of
fait is made of the earth, for private ufe, in the city of
the Affumption, in Paraguay; but it appears in the greateft
plenty in the neighbourhood of the Rioia and St. Jago.
After a fhower of rain, the earth becomes white with the
faltpetre^ and is extremely chilling to the feet. It may
then, with a brufh or a feather, be gathered in great abun-
dance, with very little earth ; as likewife by taking the rain
water from the lakes. The people of thefe parts gather
little more than what they ufe for the making of gunpowder;
which is prepared chiefly for their feafts. I have frequently
bought fmall quantities of it, of about twenty pounds

L weight,

Bsai

( 38 )

weight, coarfely purified from the filth ; ail in fmall cryftal
cylinders, without any cubes ; which proves that it is unmixed
with fal gem; which our faltpetre is not fo free from.
This difcovery might be attended with great advantages, if
proper attention was paid to it ; as the faltpetre might be
carried in boats, by the river Salado, to Santa Fe, and
from thence, by the Parana, to Buenos- Ay res.

The greateft commerce of this country is that of cattle.
There are every where very numerous flocks of fheep ;
and, at my firft going thither, the horned cattle were fo
abundant, that (befides the herds of tame catde) they ran,
in vaft droves, wild and without owners, in the plains on
both fides of the rivers Parana, Uruguay, and the river of
Plata ; and covered all the plains of Buenos- Ayres, Mendoza,
Santa Fe, and Cordova. But the covetoufnefs and negle6t
of the Spaniards have deftroyed fuch vaft numbers of the
wild cattle, that, had it not been for the providential care
of fome few particular people, flefh would, at this time,
have been extremely dear in thofe parts. On my firft ar-
rival in this country, not a year paffed, but from five to
eight {hips fet fail from Buenos-Ayres, laden chiefly with
hides. Immenfe flaughters were made, without more gain
than the fat, fuet, and hides ; the flefh being left to rot.
The annual confumption of cattle, flain in this manner
alone, in the jurifdi6lion of this one city and Santa Fe, did
not amount to lefs than fome hundreds of thouiands. Nor
is the pra6lice entirely laid afide at this time. Yet, not-
withftanding, cattle are cheap; and, even in Cordova,
bullocks are fold for two dollars a head ; but formerly they
would not have been eftimated at more than half the pre-
fent price.

There

\\\\ i

mmmmmm

( 39 )

There is likewife great plenty of tame horfes, and ^ pro^
dioioiis number of wild ones. The price of a two or three
year old colt is half a dollar, or about two fhillings and
fourpence ; of a horfe fit for fervice, two dollars ; and of
a mare, three rials, and fometimes only two. The wild
horfes have no owners, but wander, in great troops, about
thofe vail: plains, which are terminated, to the eaftward, by
the province of Buenos-Ayres and the ocean, as far as the
mouth of the Red River ; to the weftward, by the mountains
of Chili and the firft Defaguadero ; to the^ north, by the
mountains of Cordova, Yacanto, and Rioia; and to the
fouth, by the woods which are the boundaries of the
Tehuelhets and Diuihets. They go from place to place,
againft the current of the winds ; and, in an inland expe-
dition which I made in 1744, being in thefe plains for the
fpace of three weeks, they were in fuch vaft numbers, that,
during a fortnight, they continually furrounded me. Some-
times they paffed by me, in thick troops, on full fpeed, for
two or three hours together; during which time, it was with
great difficulty that I and the four Indians, who accom-
panied me on this occafion, preferved ourfelves from being
run over and trampled to pieces by them. At other times,
I have paffed over this fame country, and have not feen
any of them.

This great plenty of horfes and horned cattle is fuppofed
to be the reafon, why the Spaniards and the Indians do not
cultivate their lands with that care and induftry which they
require, and that idlenefs prevails fo much among them.
Any one can with eafe have, or train up, a troop of horfes;
and being accoutred with his knife and lazo, or fnare of
hiderope, he has wherewith to get his livelihood ; cows
and calves being in great abundance, and out of their owners

fight ;

mmmem

fight jfo that it is an eafy matter to kill them, without be-
ing difcovered : which pradice is very much followed.

mere have been various attempts towards the difcoverv
of mines in this country ; but they have all proved abor-

— n-n""*" ?^JS''' °^ "" S°^'^ ™ine were difcovered, in the
jurifdiaion of Cordova, in the vale of Punillia; but, after
much labour and expenfe, the quantity of gold was very in-
confiderable and the undertakers were ruined. The fame
SLI *e workers of another gold mine, found

near the mouth of the Plata, in the mountains near Mal-
donado; which was abandoned from the fame motives as
the tormer. About ten years ago, there was a great noife
about lilver mines near the mountain of Anconquixa, and
at brlt lome quantity of filver was obtained. With this
encouragement, the governor of the province interefted
hmlelt m it, notice was given of it to the King of Spain,
and many expended their fortunes in the undertaking; but,
after two years failure, it was given up, like the two former.
A tew years ago, there was another difcoverv made of
feme filver mines near Mendoza, at the foot of the Cor-
dillera; which, after fome trials, yielded a Urge quantity
ot ore. The undertakers were at a very great expenfe in
procuring engines, and all the other apparatus neceffarv to
canyon the work; but, before I left the country, fome
very unfavourable accounts had been received concernins
thefe mines: fo that I cannot pretend to determine whether
they have fucceeded or not. Even the famous filver mines
ot 1 otofi are very confiderably diminiflied. The quantity
ot ore taken from thence is decreafednear two thirds and
the Indians who ufed to work them are almoft all of them
deltroyed, for want of a good police ; and befides, many

■■hi

( 41 )

of the mines are overflowed^ and ^re thereby rendered ufe-
lefs and unprofitable.

There is a great probability, that there might be found
as many gold and filver mines, in the country of the Indian
Moluches, on the eaft fide of the Cordillera, as have been
to the wefi: ; but the Indians pay no attention to fuch difco-
veries, and the Spaniards are afraid to pafs thefe mountains,
to make any trial, left they fhould be attacked by the
Indians.

There are likewife, in thefe parts, various drugs : v/hich
might be very profitable, if the inhabitants thought proper
to attend to them.

in- the jurifdi6lion of Tucuman, and the city of the
Seven Currents, there are great quantities of guaiacum, or
holy wood, and of dragon's blood ; which laft is a very
valuable commodity. It flows from the tree upon incifion,
and refembles^ upon infpiffation, real blood ; as well in
colour, as in confiftence. It hardens, with boiling, or af-
ter long keeping, to a kind of rofin ; and becomes of a
liver-colour, much darker than our officinal dragons blood.
It is likewife much more aftringent.

. The balfam of caaci flows from a tree upon incifion, and
is fometimes got by boiling it's boughs, very much bruifed.
It is a hard gum, of the turpentine kind, but of a white
colour, when got by boiling ; otherwife, it is yellow and
clear. It is a moll excellent incarnating medicine for
wounds, and a fine vulnerary taken internally. ^"

Two Indians were feverally wounded by a narrow lance>
in the epigaftric region, juft beneath the xiphoide cartilage.
The points of the weapons came out on one fide of the back-
bone j a fmall degree higher in the one cafe than the othef.
What they drank iffued immediately out of the wounds.

M They

( 4^ )

They fuffered great pain, and had frequent iypothymies
(or faintings) and cold, clammy fweats. I was ufed ta
apply this balfam externally, mixed with deer's fuet and
marrow ; but in thefe cafes, the wounds were clofed, I
gave it them internally ; and they took a fmall quantity of
it, about the bignefs of a hazel nut, three times a day, and
fometimes oftener in a lefs quantity* I had no other me-
dicine in thofe defarts to give them, that could be of any
fervire in their cafe. However, they were both reftored
to a perfe£l ftate of health and ftrength • the one, in fix
weeks, the other, in about three months.

I mention thefe two cafes as very particular ones, the
llomach having been pierced before and behind ; a cafe
generally efteemed mortal by the faculty. The narrownefe
of the perforations (made by the narrow blade of a tuck, or
fmall fword, converted into a lance) was, I imagine, the
reafon of thefe cures being fo foon completed.

The balfam, or rather extraft, called aquaaribaigh, is got
by boiling a plant, which is a kind of fhrub lentilcus. In
external applications, it is a good cleanfer and digeftive, and
likewife breeds a good cicatrix. It is very efficacious, inter-
nally, in hemorrhages, dy fenteries, and catarrhs -, being an
agglutinant, and an aftringent, as well as a balfamic.

The gum Ifica flows from a tree, and is gathered in
Paraguay. It is called likewife trementine^ that is, turpen^
tine I but it feems to be a Ipecies of gum ekmi, though
much hotter; and, when applied alone, it will raife blifters.
It's chief ufe, in this country, is to make pkfters for the
fciatica; which it frequently cures. When tempered with
^rr equal, portion of wax or tallow,, it makes a pretty good
liniment of arceus j and is a good cephalic plafter, applied
mth oxycroceum, to the feet; which it never fails to keep

warm>.

( 43 )

warm. This is of great fervice to the Indians, and inha-
bitants in general ; as they are very fubje6l to obftruftions in
the Hver, arifmg from drinking too large quantities of cool-
ing liquors; and thefe diforders are attended with a great

coldnefs in the feet. a j •

The contrayerva root is in great abundance. And m
fome parts of the mountains of Cordova and Yacanto, the
valerian and meum roots grow in great quantities, of a
much larger fize, and of a ftronger fmell, than any I have
feen in Europe. There are roots of the valerian as thick.
as a man's arm. They have the fame kind of fmell as ours,
but, as I have juft before obferved, much ftronger/. The
leaves of the meum are very large : It grows to a yard m
height. The flowers are white, and clufter together, m a
conic form, four or five inches high. It's ufe is well known,
in nervous diforders and epilepfies.

There are brought from the Guaranies two forts of roots,
of a plant, or flag, which the natives call fchynant; but,
though they bear the fame name, they differ very much
from each other. The one has all the appearance of the,
common calamus aromaticus, though it is fomewhat ftronger,:
both in taftc and fmell, and not fo large. The other has
very fmall, round roots, about half an inch in length ;
very brittle, eafy to be pounded fine, and of the fame con
lour as the contrayerva. It has a very hot, fpicy, aromatic
tafte, and, when taken inwardly, is a very good medicine:
in all cold affe6lions of the brain and nerves.

Ginger likewife grows in thefe parts. But the commo-^
dity which might turn to the greateft advantage, if the
proper methods of preparing it were difcovered, is ^
kind of tea, which I found about two years before my
departure^from this place. It bears an exad refemblance

'"'"'""'. to.

( 44 )

to. tlie_ herb h called which comes from China ; for,
on putting fome leaves of both forts into boiling water,
I could not difcover, when they were difplayed, any
difference, either in their fhape, or the difpofition of
their veins and fibrous parts. I found this tea plant,
m very great quantities, in different vales; at the foot
of the mountains of Cordova and Yacanto, near the
mountains of Achala, and in the vallies of Calamochita ;
and I have been informed, that, nearer Peru, in Tucuman^
Salta, &c. it grows in greater plenty.

It is a fhrub, from a yard to above two yards high. Its
trunk feldom exceeds an inch in thicknefs, and is often lefs.
it has no fuckers near the root; but many long branches.
It's leaves grow by three and three, in the manner of trefoil ;
they are of a beautiful green, and very fmooth. It fhoots
out a long fpike of blue flowers, fomething like lavender,
but not fo long, nor fo well fcented. To each of thefe
flowers fucceeds a fmall hulk, each of which contains a
feed, not bigger than a third part of a lentil, fhaped like a
kidneybean. After it is dry, on infufmg it in water, it
tinges the water in the fame manner as green tea. It's tafte
and flavour are exa6lly the fame, o^xc&^t that it is fome-
what fl:ronger, and is not fo rough ; but this difference is
moft probably owing to the frefhnefs of it when gathered,
or perhaps may arife from the different method of preparing
it, or from not drying it on copper-plates, as is faid to be done
in China. In the drying, I could not make it become
twilled and fhrivelled, like the oriental tea.

I found likewife a leffer kind of this plant, both with
refpe6l to it's height, and the fize of it's leaves.

There is yet another Ipccies of it, which grows in Chili.
This has a round feed, without the hufk; the flowers are

yellow,

( 45 )

yellow, and do not grow in a fpike ; and the leaf is not fo
finooth as that of the former, and is of a lighter green. On
infufion, it gives a deeper tinge. The tafte is much the fame
as that of the other fort, but not quite fo pleafant, having a
fmall degree of faintnefs in its flavour. The Indian name is
culem. The inhabitants of Cordova call theirs alvanhacca
del campo, that is, wild bafil ; but this is a name given at
random, to a plant, which bears no refemblance to the bafil,
either wild or cultivated ; that being an herb, and not a tree;

As I and feveral of my acquaintance gathered feme bags
of this tea, and freely diftributed it to many perfons, I
had an opportunity of trying it's effe£b; and found that it
created a good appetite and digeftion, cured many head-
achs and inveterate apepfias (want of appetite), and anorexias
(want of digeftion), which had not yielded to any other re-
medies ; in thefe particulars far excelling the tea of China.
It is very remarkable, that, in the parts where this tea
plant grows, there is the fame kind of ftone as that of which
the China ware is made.

CHAPTER II.

A Defcription of the Indian Country, with lis Vales, Mountains^
Rivers, Sec. — Great River La Plata, with ifs Branches^
Fi/h, and Ports,

|)^)^M| HAT part of the jurifdiaion of Cordova, which
)eC T )eC lies to the fouth of the Rio Seguxido, or Second
S)^3@C)§(§ ^iv^r, was formerly the country of a great party
of the northern Puelches, and reaches above fifiy
leagues, entering into the jurifdi6lion of Buenos- Ayres be-
yond Cruzalta. When I firft went into thofe parts, I met

N feme

troops of tkefe Indians, Hill inhabiting tke feanks -of ^iie
Second and Third Rivers; and there were fome few of them
on the Fourth and Fifth Rivers. All the jcountry which lies,
between the Second and Third Rivers is about twelve ^league^
over, and mollly woody; but, on approaching the Third
River., the wood ceafes. The rivers that wafli this Gonntry
all come from the high momntains of Yacanto, Champachinj
and Achala; which are little inferior in height to the Andes
of Ghili, and are a kind of branches of thofe of Peru.
All thefe rivers, except the Third River, after paffing through
^e breaks in the mountains of Cordova, and rulhing
into the plains, in a few leagues lofe their %eetnefss
become fal^ grow lefs and lefe by the drynefs of the landy^
foil, and are finally iwallowed up in fome lake*

The Rio Tercero, or Third River, the moft confiderable
of them all, before it paffes the mountains of Cordova
(where it has a great fall) is increafed by the acceffion of
the rivers Ghampachin, Gonfales, Del Medio, Quillimfa,
Cachu-Corat, La Cruz, Luti, and, Del Sauce ; but coming
to the plains, part of which are very fandy, during a dry
feafon it difappears under the ground, and breaks out again,
at fome diftance. In times of rain it incxeafes very much,
and brings down, in its rapid current, great quantities of
wood. It makes many windings, encloling large fields. _
It's banks, for more than twenty leagues after it leaves the
mountains, are full of high willow trees. The country
through which it fiows breeds excellent cattle, being fine
|>afture and corn land, and in fome places produces melilot,
atid a liind of woody farfaparilla. At the end of twenty
leagues it grows fait,; but is not fo very bad as to be unfit for
drinking. In this manner it takes its courfe to the Cruzalta,.
^^%^re it is -called Carcarannaj from it's many windings,.

and\

( 47 ):

and pafles on, running from N. N. W. to S. S. E. till
it enters the Parana, at the Rincon, or corner, df Gaboto^
about eighteen leagues from Santa Fca

There is nothing particular in the Rivers Quarto and
Quintoj their produce is much the fame as that of
iie former, except that inhere is a, greater fcarcity of wood
in the countries through which they pais. Their fields are
flocked with cattle, and are fit for tillage. The River
Quinto, when it overflows, has a communication by chan-
nels with the River Saladillo, which difcharges itfelf inta
fehe River of Plata.

Between this country and the plains of St. Juan and
Mendoza (the habitation of the fecond divifion of the
northern Puelcfhes, or Taluhets) are the mountains ©f Cor»
dova and Yacanto. They form a continued chain, with
very bad palTes, through ^breaks of hiilsj and over afcents
and ridges, which are very ileep, and unfit for wheel car^
riages* The tops of thefe ridges are from fixteen to twenty
leagues diftant from each other. The intervening countr}
Gontain^s many §jaeious and fruitful vallies, watered with
brooks and rivuletSj and beautified with hills and rifmg
grounds. Theie vallies produce many kinds of fruit trees,
as peaches, apples, Cherries, and plums ; and alfo corn,
where the land is cultivated : but they are more particularly
famous for breeding cattle, Iheep, and horfes, and elpecially
mules. The greateft part of thefe laft, which pafs yearly
over to Peru, are bred in this country, and are it's greateft
riches, as they bring into it filver and gold, from the mines
of Potofi, Lipes, and all Peru.

'On the weftern fkirts of the mountains of Yacanto, or
Sacanto^ there are many farms belonging to the Spaniards^
who have been allured thither by the fertility of the foilj

Mgna

c 48 )

v/hich is capable of all kinds of hufbandry, and is well
watered by the rivulets which flow down from the
mountains ; and alfo by the fecility of breeding cattle ;
there being few woods, except fuch as are neceifary
for fuel and building. And befides, the fecurity from the an-
noyance of the Indians is another great inducement to fettle
there, as they infeft thofe only, who live more to the fouth.

All the reft of the country to the weftward, between
thefe mountains and the firft river Defaguadero, confifts of
plains, with little water but what the brooks afford. It
contains abundance of line paftures, but is unpeopled.
Sometimes indeed the Taluhets and Picunches go thither, in
fmall troops, to hunt wild mares, or rob paifengers and
waggons, which are paffing from Buenos- Ay res to San Juan
and Mendoza.

This country affords little for exportation to Europe,
except bull and cow hides, and fome tobacco, which grows
very well in Paraguay ; but it is of the greateft importance
to the Spaniards, becaufe all the mules, or the greateft part
of them, which are ufed in Peru, come from Buenos-
Ayres and Cordova, and fome few from Mendoza ; without
which they would be totally difabled ^rom carrying on any
traffic, or having any communication with the neighbour-
ing countries ; as the high and rugged mountains of Peru
are impaffable but by mules, and in that country they can-
not breed thefe animals. Thofe alfo which go thither are
in general fhort-lived on account of their hard labour, the
badnefs of the roads, and the want of paftures. So that
the lofs of this country might draw after it the lols of Peru
and Chili. The road from Buenos-Ayres to Salta is fit for
wheel carriages ; but the mules, which are driven from that
place and Cordova, are obliged, after fo long a journey, to

reft

• " ( 49 )

reft a year in Salta, before they can pafs to Potofi, LipeS, or
Cufco.

The people of thefe countries are very indifferent foldi-

ers, and fo difpleafed with the Spanifh government, lofs of

trade, the dearnefs of all European goods, and, above all,

fo many exorbitant taxes, &c. that they would be piad to

be fubjeft to any other nation, who would deliver them

from their prefent oppreffion. Yet, notwithftanding, all this

country is without any other guard, than a few rec^ular

troops in Buenos-Ayres and Montevideo ; and if thefe two

places were once taken, the taking of the reft might be ac-

compliftied by only marching over it ; in which any enemy

would be affifted by the natives of the country. The lofs

of thefe two places would deprive the Spaniards of the only

ports they have in thefe feas, where their fhips, which are

to pafs Cape Horn to the South Seas, can receive any fuc-

cour. Before the expulfion of the Jefuits from the miffions

of Paraguay, they might have had very confiderable fuc-

cours from the Indian Guaranies, who were armed and

difciplined, and who helped to fubjeft the rebellious infur-

gents of Paraguay, and to drive the Portuguefe out of the

colony of Saint Sacrament, and were the greateft defence of

this important country.

That part of the Cordillera which lies weft of Mendoza
is of a vaft height, and always covered with fnow ; from
whence all this chain of mountains is called by the Indians
Pfen Mahuifau, or Snowy Mountain ; or Liu, or Lio Mahuifau,
i. e. White Mountain. You pafs fome leagues through very
pleafant vallies, encompaffed with high hills, before you
come to the greateft ridge, which is very high and fteep,
with frequent frightful and deep precipices ; and in fome
places the road is fo very narrow and dangerous, on account

O of

( 50 )

of many huge, prominent rocks, that there is fcarce room
enough for a loaded mule to pafs along. The hollows are
never without fnow, even during the fummer, and in the
winter there is great danger of being frozen to death.
Many have loft their lives, by attempting to pafs them, be-
fore the fnows were in fome degree melted. At the bottom
of thefe precipices, there are many brooks and rivers,
which are as it were imprifoned, between hlgh> perpendi-
cular banks ; and fo narrow is the fpace between them, in
fome places, that one might leap from one fide to the other;
but it is impoflible to defcend them. Thefe rivers and
brooks take many windings within the hills and precipices,
till they break out into the plains, where they compleat the
bulk of greater rivers. To afcend, and pafs over the great
ridge, is commonly one day's journey, at Mendoza and
Coquimbo, and much the fame in other places, ac^oI|ding
to the information I have received. v • ^;',

Thefe hills produce very large and lofty pine trees.
Their growth is Hke thofe of Europe, but their wood is
more folid and harder than ours; it is very white, and
makes excellent mafts, as well as other materials fyr fhip
building, and is very durable ; fo that, as Ovales remarks,
ihips built in the South Seas often laft forty years. The fruit
is bigger; the head that produces it being twice as large as
thofe which the Spanilh pines bear ; and the pine-nuts are
as big as dates, with a very flender fhell. The fruit is long
and thick, with four blunt corners, as big as two almonds.
By boihng thefe fruits or kernels, they make provifion for
long journies, or to keep at home. Prepared in this man-
ner, they have fomething of a mealinefs, and tafte very like
a boiled almond, but not fo oily. This tree produces a
confiderable quantity of turpentine, which forms itfelf into

a mals,

( 51 )

a mafs, fomething harder and drier than our rofm, hut
much more clear and tranfparent, though not fo yellow..
The Spaniards call, and ufe it as incenfe; but that is a
miftake, as it has no other fragrance than that of rofm, only
fomething finer.

The vales at the foot of the Cordillera are in fome places
very fertile, watered with brooks or rivers, and, when cul-
tivated, produce good corn, and a variety of fruits. Apple
trees grow there wild, in great abundance ; and the Indians^
make a kind of cyder, for prefent ufe, being ignorant how
to preferve it.

The volcanoes, or fiery mountains, of which there are
many on this fide of the Cordillera, may vie with Vefuvius,
Mont-Gibello, or any of thofe which we know of in
Europe, for their fize and furious eruptions. Being in the
Vuulcan, below Cape St. Anthony, I was witnels to a vaft
cloud of afhes being carried by the winds, and darkening
the whole fky. It Ipread over great part of the jurifdi6lion
.of Buenos-Ayres, pafled the River of Plata, and fcattered
it's contents on both fides of the river, in fo much that the
grafs was covered with afhes. This was caufed by the
eruption of a volcano near Mendoza ; the winds carrying
the light afhes to the incredible diftance of three hundred
leagues or more.

The country of Buenos-Ayres, the antient habitation of
the Chechehets, is fituated on the fouth fide of the River
of Plata. The coaft here is v/et and low, with many bogs
and marfhes. The waterfide is covered with wood, which
ferves for fuel. Thefe marihes reach, from the banks,, till
you come to the rifing grounds ; which are alfo in fome
parts very boggy ; being a clay, with very little depth of
foil to cover it, till you go farther into the country i where

the

the foil is deeper. The country is every where flat, with
iniall rifing grounds ; and it is very furprifing, that in all
this vaft jurifdiaion, in that of Santa Fe, and of St. Jago
del Eftero, there is not to be found one ftone, which is the
natural produce of the country : and this is the cafe as far
as the mountains of the Vuulcan, Tandit, and Cayru, to the
foQth eaft of Buenos- Ayres.

The country which is between Buenos-Ayres, and the
river Saladillo (the limit and boundary of the Spanifh go-
vernment to the fouth of this province) is entirely a plain,
without fo much as one tree or rifmg ground, till you come to
the banks of this river, which is about twenty-three leagues
from" die Spanifh fettlements. This country is near twenty
leagues broad, from N. E. to S. W. and is bounded by the
llraggling villages of the Matanza and Magdalen. To the
north of the Saladillo there are many great lakes, fome
bogs, and hollow vales. The lakes I am acquainted with
are thofe of the ReduHion, Sauce, Vitel, Chafcamuz,
Cerrillos, and Lobos. To the fouth eaft, there is a long
and narrow lake of fweet water, near the river Borombon,
which is very rare in this country ; it is eight leagues diffant
from the neareff Spanifh fetdement. About fix leagues
farther is the great river, or rather lake of Borombon;
which is formed -by the overflowing of the lakes of the Re-
du61ion, Sauce, Vitel, and Chafcamuz, when they are
fwelled with the great rains. It is fometimes near a mile in
breadth, having neither banks nor falls, but a very broad,
flat bottom. When it is moft increafed, it has not, in the
middle, above a fathom of water. During the greateft part
of the year it is endrely dry. After running about twelve
leagues from the lake of Chafcamuz, it enters into the River
of Plata, a little above the Stony Point, or Punta de Piedra.

From

( 53 ) .

From this river to the 5aIadillo is about twelve leagues
ti-avelling S. E. The intervening country is low and flat Jike
the reft; and in fome places there is plenty of pafture, efpe-
cially on approaching nearer to the banks of the Saladillo.
In dry feafons, when grafs fails near the coaft of the River
of Plata, all the catde belonging to the Spanifli farms of
Buenos- Ayres are driven down to the banks of the Saladillo,
where the grafs lafts longer, by reafon of the greater depth
of foil. '

Thefe plains extend to the weft as far as the Defaguadero,
or territory of Mendoza, and have no water, but what
falls from the flvy, and is gathered in lakes, except the three
rivers of ^ the Defaguadero, Hueyguey, and Saladillo. This
country is not inhabited or cultivated, either by Indians or
Spaniards ; but abounds with cattle, wild horfes, deer
oftriches, armadilloes, partridges, wildgeefe, ducks, and
other game.

The River Saladillo, on account of it's faltnefs, is only
drinkable by cattle. Almoft all the year it runs fo low, that
at a place called the Callighon, eight leagues from it's mouth,
where it is very broad, it fcarce reaches to the ankles : and'
even -at it's mouih, k would be impoffible for a fmali boat
laden to enter: yet, about the beginning of Oftober i
have feen it fwell fo -prodigioufly, as to rife to the tops of
it's banks in four and twenty hours, and to have in the
place juft mentioned, near a fathom of water, and to be al-
moft a quarter of a mile in breadth; all this happenino-,
without any quantity of rain having fallen in that part of the
country. The flood generally lafts two or three months,
before it goes down. The Saladillo breaks out where the
Fifth River (that paffes by St. Louis) ends in a lake; which,
when it overflows with the rainS; or melted fnows, 'that fall

" from

■Ai

( 54 )

from the mountains, caufes the flooding of this river. As
it takes it's courfe by the diftri6l of Buenos-Ayres, going
afterwards to the fouth, approaching the iirll: ridge of
mountains, then turning to the north, and again to the eaft,
it receives the waters of many vaft lakes, that overflow with
the heavy rains ; and, when thefe fupplies fail, it almoft
dries up. On the banks of this river, to about eight
leagues from the mouth, there are many woods, of a tree
there called tala, which is only fit for fuel or enclofures.
The lafl: of thefe woods, called the Ifla Larga, reaches to
about three leagues from it's entrance into the River of
Plata.

The River of Plata is one of the largefl rivers in all
America, and opens into the fea by a mouth near feventy
miles broad. Some fay it is only fixty, and others extend
it to eighty^ It is called by this name from the place where
it joins with the Uruguaigh : higher up the principal branch,
it goes by the name of the Parana. Into whi-ch enter the
great rivers Bermejo, the Pilcomayu, which paffes by
Chuquifaca, and the Paraguay (from whence that province
takes it's name) which paifes by the city of Paraguay or
Affumption, and communicates, by navigable branches,
with the Portuguefe gold mines ot Cuyaba and Matagroffo,
as alfo with Peru ; in the fame manner as the Parana com-
municates with the mines of Brafil and the mountains of
St. Paul.

On the banks of the River Carcarania, or Tercero, about
three or four leagues before it enters into the Parana, are
found great numbers of bones, of an extraordinary bignefs,
which feem human. There are fome greater and fome
lefs, as if they were of perfons of different ages. I have feen
fhigh-bones, ribs, breail-bones, and pieces of fkulls. I

have

{ 55 ^

have alfo feen teetli, and particularly fome grinders which
were three inches in diameter at the bafe. Thefe bones
(as I have been informed) are likewife found on the banks
of the Rivers Parana and Paraguay, as likewife in Peru.
The Indian Hiftorian, Garcilaflb de la Vega Inga, makes
mention of thefe bones in Peru, and tells us that the Indians
have a tradition, that giants formerly . inhabited thofe
countries, and were deftroyed by God for the crime of
fodomy.

I myfelf found the fhell of an animal, compofed of
litde hexagonal bones, each bone an inch in diameter at leaft ;
and the Ihell was near three yards over. It feemed in all
refpe6ls, except it's fize, to be the upper part of the fhell
of the armadillo ; which, in thefe times, is not above a
fpan in breadth. Some of my companions found alfo, near
the River Parana, an entire fl^eleton of a monftrous
alligator. I myfelf faw part of the vertebrae, each bone of
which was near four inches thick, and about fix inches
broad. Upon an anatomical furvey of the bones, I was
pretty well allured, that this extraordinary increafe did not
proceed from any acquifition of foreign matter ; as I found
that the bony fibres; were bigger,, in proportion as the bones
were larger. The bales of tke teeth were entire, though
the roots were worn away, and exa61;ly refcmbled in figure
the bafis of a human tooth, and not of that of any other
animal I ever faw. Thefe things are well known to all who
live in thefe countries i odierwife, I fliould not have dared
io write them.

The River Parana has the extraordinary property of
converting feveral fubftances into a very hard Hone.

When it was firft difcovered, it was navigable, by fmall
fhips, as hi^h as the City of the Affumption i but, fince that

time.

%■

■Mlb

( 56 )

time, it has brought down fo much fand, that even fmall
merchant fliips can go no higher than Buenos-Ayres. The
larger veflels, and men of war, are obliged to unload at
Montevideo. There is great need of good pilots for this
river, to avoid foundering on the two banks, called the
Engiill:! Bank and the Bank of Ortiz, or Ilriking againft the
Stony Point, which runs many leagues under the water,
and crolles the whole river. The northern channel is nar-
rower and deeper, the fouthern wider and more Ihallow:
oppofite to the bank of Ortiz it is not three fathom deep,
with a hard ftony bottom. This river has two annual inun-
dations, a greater and a lefs, proceeding from the rains,
which fall in thofe vaft countries, from whence the Parana
and Paraguay have their fources. The leffer is from the latter
part of June to the latter part of July, is called the increafe
of the Pequereyes, or Sparlings, and is ufed to cover all the
iilands in the Parana. The greater begins in the month of
December, and iafts all January, and fometimes February.
This is fo high, that it iifes live or fix yards above the
iflands, and fometimes more ; fo that there appears nothing
above the water but the tops of the high trees, with which
the iilands of this river abound. In thcfc feafons, the
lions, tigers, ftags, and ac[€iaraquazues, leave the iilands,
and fwim over to the main land. On an extraordinary and
uncommon flood of this river, the inhabitants of Santa Fe
have tnore than once had thoughts of forfaking the city,
for fear of a deluge • but when this vaft flood comes down
into the River of Plata, it does but juft cover the low lands
upon it's banks. '

Some of the iflands of the Parana are two or three miles
in length ; they have great quantities of timber on them,
and afford both food and flielter to great numbers of lions,

tigers,

■■

s^SS^^^

( 57 )

tigers, flags, capivaras, or river-hogs, rivei'-wolves (which I
take to be of the fame kind as our otter in England) aqua-
raquazues, and many alhgators. Th.e aqiiaraquazu is a very
large fox, with a very bufhy tail ; aquara (in the Paraauay
tongue) fignifymg fox, and quazu, great. Tlieir common
little fox they call aquarachay.

This river abounds in fiili of many kinds, both with and
w^ithout fcales; fome of which are knov/n, and others un-
known in Europe. Thofe that have fcales, are the dorado
or gold fiflj, the packu, corvino, falmon, pequarey, lifa,
boga, favala, dentudo, and other leiler fry. Thofe that
have no fcales, are the mungrullu, zurubi, pati, armado]
raya or ray, erizo or water hedge-hog, many river tortoifes,
bagres, &c.

The dorado is in great plenty in moil of the rivers of
the Parana. They are very large, fome weighing twenty
or five and twenty pounds each; their flefh white and folid;
the head in general mofl efteemed.

^ The packu is the beft and moil delicious fiih of any in thefe
rivers, and has an excellent taile and flavour. It is a thick
broad fiih, Hke our turbot, of a dark, duilw colour, with
a mixture of yellow. It's breadth is two thirds of it's
length. Its fcales are very fmall, and the head is fmall in
proportion to the body. This lifh is in high eilimation
and IS feldom found but in the fpring and fummer. When
falted with care, it may be kept fome months dried, but
after that time, being very fat, it grows rancid. I think it
IS fomethmg like our tench, though much larger.

Another fiih, in great eileem, is the corvino ; which is
only found near the mouth of the River of Plata where
the fait and freih water mix together. They are as large as a
middle-fized cod, and in fhape refemble our carp. They

y have

( 58 )

have very large, thick bones, and broad fcales. This fifh Is
very good, either freih, or faked and dried. At the proper
feafon, great quantities of them are taken with a hook,
about Maldonado and Montevideo, and are fent to Buenos-
Ayres, Cordova, &c.

The falmon is not at all like ours, and is a dry, unfa-
voury fifh, in no efteem.

The pequareys, or king's fifli (fo called by the Spaniards)
are a kind of fmelt or fparling ; in colour, fhape, and tafte,
refembling ours, except that the head is very large, and the
mouth very wide. Their fize is about that of a mackerel.
They never frequent fait water; but are In great quantities
in the River of Plata. When the Parana increafes, in the
month of July, they go up that river, in vaft Ihoals, a
litde above Santa Fe, to leave their fpawn in the leffer rivers,
which enter the Parana. The fifhermen catch them with
hooks, in great quantities, cut them open, and dry them,
and fell them to the neighbouring cities. They are of an
excellent tafte, and their flefh Is very white, without any
fat : when frefh, they are confidered as a great dainty.
They muft be dried without fait, as it would immedi-
ately confume them ; and if they get any wet or
moiilure, where they are hung out to dry, they will cor-
rupt. They are in equal efteem with the packu and the
corvino.

The lifa, in fhape, fize, and tafte, refembles our mackerel ;
but is not of fo beautiful a colour, nor fo fmall near the
tail, and the fcales are larger. This fifh fwims no higher
than the River of Plata ; where the greateft fhoals are to be
found near the mouth, in the high tides. With the full
and new moon, they enter in fach numbers Into the little
River Saladiilo, that in one night, in two or three draughts

with

( 59)

with a drag-net, I generally made a fufficient provifion for
myfelf and my companions during Lent.

Tire (aval a and boga are fifli like our carp. In the
Parana, and River of Plata, they weigh three or four
pounds. AH the rivers of thefe provinces produce great
quantities of thefe fifh, fo that they are very cheap ; and
the inhabitants lay in a great ilock of them, falted and dried.
In eating of thefe fifh, great caution is requifite, on account
of the multiplicity and fmallnefs of their bones. The boga,
when frefh, is thought better than the favala, though that is
both larger and broader. The method of taking them is
with a net.

The dentudo (fo called on account of it's large and fharp
fore-teeth) is fomewhat inferior to the laft. It may weigh
in general about a pound and a half, and, though well-
tailed, is feldom eaten, as it has great numbers of very
dangerous bones. It is the mod thorny fifh I have ever
feen.

There is, befides thefe, a fmall, broad, flat lifh, which
Is called palometa ; it is thorny, but v/ell-tafted. It has
ugly, fharp fins, with which it wounds thofe, who too
haftily lay hold of it. The wound which is made .by thefe
fins is very painful, fhoots, fefters, and inflames in fuch a
manner, that it often brings on a fever, convulfions, and
tetanus ; fo that it fometimes terminates in death,

FISH without SCALES.
The mungrullu is the large ft fifh found in this river.
There are fome that weigh a hundred weight, and are tvv^o
yards in length. It has a fmooth fldn, of an afh colour,
fomewhat inclining to yellow, a bony head, rough gums,
and a wide fwailow. The fleih is of a pale red; and very

folid

k:\

ill It

- ( 60 )

iblid. It is very ilrong and heavy in the water, and it
requires very iirm tackle, and great fcrength, to take it.

The zurubi is next in fize to the mungrullu, and not
much inferior. It's head is almoft one third of it's whole
bignefs. and is all bone. It has a very broad, flat mouth,
and an exceeding wide throat. It's &in is fmooth, of a
white afh colour, fpotted like a tiger, with large, round,
black fpots. It's flefli is white, found, folid, and well-
tafted, and it is the beft of thefe fifh without fcales.

The pati, or patee, is not of a much lefs fize than the
former, but has a fmaller head, and narrower fwallow, and
has fome flefh upon the head. The colour of this fifli is
like that of the mungrullu ; it's flefh is of a yeilowifli white ;
and it is efteemed almoft as much as the zurubi.

The armado is a thick, ftrong fifh, v/ith a fhort body.
It's back, fldes, and fins, are all armed with ftrong, fharp
points. When taken, it makes a grunting noife, and en-
deavours to wound ; for which reafon it muft be flunned,
before it can be handled with fafety. This fifh generally
weighs from about four to fix pounds ; it's flefh is very
white, firm, and folid. i^_.

The rayas, rays, or fkate, are fo very plentiful in the
Parana, that the fhallow fandbanks are entirely covered
with them. They are of an oval figure, near three quarters
of a yard in length ; the back is of a dark colour, and the
belly white. They are flat, like ours, and have their
mouth in the middle of the belly, which is ir.deed the
greatefl: part of the fifh, the fl^irts being very narrow, not
above three inches broad, and much thinner than ours.
As this is the only eatable part, they are in no efteem.
This fifh has a long, narrow tail ; at the root of v/hich, on
thQ back, it has a fharp^ pointed bone^, which has two

edgi

:es.

( 6i )

edges, rough like a law with fmall teeth. With thefe, it
wounds thofe who approach or tread upon it.

The wounds made by thefe bones are ibmetimes attended
with very fatal confequences ; for very frequently the bone
is broken in the wound, and cannot be taken out, but by
anincifion, very difficult to be performed in the tendinous
parts of the feet. The wound becomes exceeding painful,
inflames, does not fuppurate, brings on a fever with con-
vulfio'ns, which ends in an ophifthotonos, or tetanus, and
caufes death.

The erizo, or water hedge-hog, is very like the armado,
but not quite fo large. Befides being armed in the iame
manner, it has a very rough fl^in, full of fhort, fnarp
points. It's flefh is not fo well-tafted as that of the armado.

The vieja, or old woman, bears a refemblance, both to
the armado, and the erizo. It is armed with prickles, but
they are neither fo ftrong, nor fo numerous, as thofe of the
abovementioned fifh. It's fkin, which is of a motley grey
colour, appears to be full of wrinkles ; it grunts like the ar-
mado, when it is taken ; and it's flefh is very favoury. Thefe
feklom weigh two pounds, and, in the fmali brooks and ri-
vers, they are itill lefs, not weighing more than half a pound.
-'' The bagres are in all refpefts, except their fize, like the
pati : they very feldom weigh fo much as a pound and a
half,^ and oftentimes much lefs. They have a ftrong,
pointed bone, in each of the fins near the head, and muft
be handled with caution after they are taken, as they live a
long time out of water. Their flefh is foft and well-tafted.
They are either caught in nets, or by angling.

I fhall here give an account of a ftrange, amphibious
animal, which is an inhabitant of the River Parana; a de-
fcription of which has never reached Europe ; nor is there

R even

( 62 ) . '

even any mention made of it by thofe who have defcribed
this country. What I here relate is from the concurrent
affeverations of the Indians, and of many Spaniards who
have been in various employments on this river. Befides,
I myfelf, during my refidence on the banks of it, which
was near four years, had once a tranfient view of one. So
that there can be no doubt about the exiftence of fuch an
animal.

In my firfl: voyage to cut timber, in the year 1752, up
the Parana, being"" near the bank, the Indians fhouted
yaquaru, and looking, I faw a great animal, at the time it
plunged into the water from the bank ; but the time was
too fhort, to examine it with any degree of precifion.

It is called yaquaru. Or yaquaruigh, which (in the lan-
guage of that country) fignifies, the waj:er tiger. It is de-
fcribed by the Indians to be as big as an afs ; of the figure
of a large, over-grown river-wolf or otter ; with fharp ta-
lons, and ftrong tu&s ; thick and fhortlegs; long, fhaggy
hair ; v/ith a long, tapering tail.

The Spaniards defcribe it fomewhat differendy ; as having
a long head, a fharp nofe, Hke that of a wolf, ara^ ftiflF,
erea ears. This difference of defcrfption may arife from
it's being fo feidoxn fcen, and, when feen, io fuddenly dif-
appearing; or perhaps there may be two fpecies of this
animal. I look upon this laft account as the moft authentic,
having received it from perfons of credit, who allured me
they had feen diis water tiger feveral times. It is always
found near the river, lying on a bank ; from whence, on
hearing the leaft noife, it immediately plunges into the
water.

It is very dellru6live to the catde which pafs the Parana;
for great herds of diem pafs every year; and it generally

-p, ' happens

"( 63 )

happens that this beaft feizes fome of them. When it has
once laid hold of it's prey, it is feen no more ; and the
lungs and entrails foon appear floating upon the water.

It lives in the greateft depths, efpecially in the whirlpools
made by the concurrence of two ftreams, and lleeps in
tiie deep caverns that are in the banks.

PORTS in the RIVER of PLATA.

The ports in this river, for fhips, are Buenos-Ayres, the
Colony of the Sacrament, the Bay of Barragan, the Haven
of Montevideo, and the Port of Maldonado. There are
many others, for leffer veifels ; chiefly at the mouths of
the feveral rivers that run into it.

Buenos- Ayres (properly fpeaking) has no port, but onl^
an open river, expofed to all the winds ; and the more fo,
becaufe the fhallownefs of the coaft obliges fliips to come
to an anchor three leagues from the land. The winds
here, elpecially thofe which come from the fouth, are very
violent ; and fhips are generally provided with cables and
anchors of an uncommon ftrength, for this place.

The port of the Colony of the Sacrament is fomething
better, by reafon of the covert it receives Jrom the ifland of
St.'Gabrielarid the higher land, and fhips being able to
anchor near the Ihore. Notwithflanding which, it is too
open and expofed to the winds ; and it has fome rocks and
flioals, and, in order to fleer into it with fafety, it is abfo-
lutely necSeflary to have a pilot. 31 ii 'io'^uo w^l I '

- The Bay of Barragan, which i^ twelve , leagues to the
fouth eaft -of Buenos- Ay res, is likewife very wide and open,
the land low all about it, nor can. fbip3 of any burthen
corne;^ within two or three leagues of the fhore. The only
Ibelt^r, ijiey have (if it maybe fo called) are fome banks
:-:':-^K^ under

• ( '64 )

under water,; which, break the force of the waves, but at the
fame time are very inconvenient, both for going in and coming
out ; and there is but little fecurity, in a lirong tempeft,
againft a fliip's breaking her cable, and being driven on them.

Montevideo is the beft, and indeed the only good port,
in this river. The Spaniards feem fenfible of the im-
portance of this place, by the extraordinary care they have
taken to fortify it ; having made it much ftronger than
Buenos- Ayres.

The entrance of this port Is narrow, and through a ftrait
made by two points of land. On that to the weft rifes- a
mountain, which may be feen at the diftance of twelve, or
even fixteen leagues^ from whence this place derives it's
name. It is dangerous to fail too near the weftern point, as
there are many rocks underwater. The entrance to the
eaft is deeper, and more fafe. Beyond the weftern point
there is a fquare battery, built clofe to the water. When I
faw it, it was only of ftone and clay, but fmce, I believe,
it has been rebuilt with lime. The bay, from the entrance,
is more than a league and a half in length, and the bay
itfelf is almoft round Within if, on the eaft fide, there is
a fmall ifland abounding with rabbits, called in Spanifti La
Ifla de los Conejos- The furrounding land is fo very high,
that no ftorm can reach this port (although there are very
great ones in the river) the water being always as fmooth as
that of a pool ; and there is fufficierit depth for fhips of the
firft rate. I faw one of that fize here, which had formerly
belonged to the States of Holland (and at that time belonged
to the Marquis of Cafa Madrid) that had entered to unload.
The bottom is a foft clay.

Behind the battery is the fmall city of Montevideo, which
occupies all that part of a promontory, that forms the

eaftern

k i!

( % )

eaflem part of the bay. The fortifications are to the north,
Thefe are regular works, according to the modern rules of
military archite^ure ; confifting of a line drawn from fea
to fea, or from the bottom of the haven to the river, en-
clofing all the promontory; of a bulwark, or angle, in the
middle, which faces the land-fide, and is well provided with
artillery; and of a pretty ftrong fort, with barracks for
foldiers, all bomb-proof. Towards the town, there is
only a wall, with a ditch on both fides of it. This place
has its governor, and a garrifon of four or five hundred
regular troops.

The other fide of the bay is without any fortification, nor
has the high mountain even fo much as a watchtower ; which
mountain, if occupied, might be a great annoyance to the
battery, city, and garrifon, on account of it's height, though
it is four or five miles from the latter.

The laft port is Maldonado. It is an open haven, at the
north entrance of the Plata, and is fheltered from the fouth
eaft winds by a fmall ifland, which bears the fame name.
Here the Spaniards have a fmall fort, where they keep a
detachment of foldiers. I know no more of this port,
having never feen it.

The northern fide of the River of Plata is an uneven
country, has very high hills, and fome ridges of mountains.
It is watered by a great many brooks and rivers; fome of
which laft are very large. The biggeft of thefe are the rivers
St. Lucie, the Uruguaigh, and the Rio Negro, which falls into
the Uruguaigh, about ten leagues from" its mouth. This
country is very fertile, produces all kinds of grain, when pro-
perly cultivated, and has alfo great quantities of good timber.
The rivers and brooks are all of freih water. Here are a
great many farms belonging to the Spaniards; but the

-S countrv

i 1 ;;

{ 66 )

country to the north of Montevideo is pofiefled by the
infidel Minuanies. -->-

The Charonas and Garoes (two of thefe nations) were for-
merly very numerous, but have been entirely deftroyed by
the Spaniards. In this territory, there were formerly the
greateft numbers both of wild and tame cattle; and here
they increafe more than on the fouthern fide of the River
of Plata. There are ftill great numbers of fheep and horned
cattle, but few horfes. A great quantity of contrayerva
grows in the neighbourhood of Montevideo ; which is ca-
pable of all the produ6ls of Europe.

The Spanifh territory is bounded on the north by the
Rio Grande, which divides it from the Portuguefe fettle-
ments in the Brafils,

CHAPTER III.

Continuation of the Dejcription oj the Indian Country, with its
Vales, Mountains, Rivers, Sec, — Terra del Fuego, — Falkland's

Jflands,

^eiW^B O the fouth of the town of the Conception (which
- T § is upon the fouth fide of the River of Plata) is
p ^ the mount of the Vivoras, or Vipers ; where are two
thick woods, almoft round, with a fpace between
them. About four leagues to the fouth of thefe is the
Monte del Tordillo, or of the Grey Horfe, which confifis of
a great number of woods, fome greater and fome lefs, each
of them fituated on a rifmg ground encompaffed with a
vale ; their trees the fame as thofe of the woods on the

Saladillo*

( 67 )

Saladillo. All this Is a plain, low country, with high watery
grafs, and abounds in armadilloes, deer, oilrlches, and wild
horfes ; and in the woods there are both lions and tigers.
Some parts of thefe woods reach within two leagues of the
feacoaif, which is extremely low, and fo boggy that it is im-
pafTable, the boggy part being near a mile in breadth, and ex-
ceedingly deep.

All the way from the Saladillo to near the firft mountains
there is neither brook nor river, nor any water JDUt what is
collected in the lakes in rainy feafons; and in times oi
drought even thefe fail.

About fifteen or twenty leagues to the E. S. E. or E. by
S. of the woods of the Tordillo is the great promontory of
Cape St. Anthony, which forms the fouthern point of the
River of Plata. The figure of this cape is round, and not
pointed, as is reprefented in fome maps. It ftands in a
peninfula ; the entrance into which on the v/eftern fide is
over a wide boggy brook, or lake, which comes from the
fea, or the fait water of the River of Plata. It is chiefly a
clay, with fome litde depth of foil, and is watered in winter
by many fmall brooks, whofe waters have a fait tafte ; but
they are generally dry in fummer. The paftures are not fo
good, nor the grafs fo high, as thofe of the Tordillo and the
Saladillo. On the fouth fide of the promontory an arm of
the weftern ocean enters, forms a bay, and terminates in
lakes. Whether this bay might ferve as a harbour is not
known, as it has never been founded ; all ihips fleering
very wide of the Cape, for fear of the great fand-banks called
Arenas Gordas, or Thick Sands. I have been round fome
part of thefe lakes, and paffed the channels by which others
have a communication with the bay ; but with great danger,
not only from the bogs, but more efpecially from the tigers,

which

■■

)

^hich were^more numerous than I ever faw in any other
place. Upon the borders of thefe lakes there are very thick
woods of tala and elder trees, which are the retreats of thefe
fierce animals, whofe chief food is iifh. ^^ , «,,

Towards the coaft, there are three ridges of land. That
which is neareft the fca is very high and loofe, and moves
with the winds: at a diftance it has the appearance of a
mountain. The next is about half a mile diftant from the
former, and is not fo high. The third is ftill at a greater
diftance, extremely low and narrow, the fand here bemg
fcarcely two feet high. The land between thefe ridges of
fand is barren, being almoft deftitute of herbage of any
kind. This peninfula abounds with wild horfes, which (it
is imagined) having got in from the neighbouring country,
could not find their 'way out again; which circumftanee oc-
cafions it to be a frequent refort of the Indian hunters. This
fmall territory is called by the Spaniards the Rincon (or cor-
ner) of Tuyu, the country adjoining being called Tuyu, for
more than forty leagues to the weft. Tuyu in the Indian
language fignifies mire or clay, which is the foil of all that
country, and continues fouthward to within ten leagues of
the firft mountains. The ridges of fand abovementioned
reach fouth to within three leagues of Cape Lobos, having to
the weft of them low, boggy marihes, of two leagues or
more in breadth, which extend all along the coaft, before
you come to the higher ground of the Tuyu, which begins
at no great diftance from the woods of the Tordillo. In this
country there are a great many little hills, which run eaft
and weft, and about two or three leagues from each other.
They are ufually double ; and at the foot of each of them
is a lake, of one, two, and fometimes three miles in length :
the moft remarkable of which lakes are the Bravo, the

Palantalen,

( 6g )

Palantalen, Lobos, Cerrlllos, Sec. Thefe hills form in
general high banks towards the lakes ; which, without
having any brook, river, or fpring to fupply them, feldom
want water, except in times of great drought. They
are called by tjie Spaniards Cerrillos (or little hills) and
there are fome of them even on the other fide of the
Saladillo.

This country, during fome parts of the year, (warms
with incredible numbers of wild horfes ; and on this accoimt
the Tehuelhets, Chechehets, and fometimes all the tribes of
the Puelches and Moluches aifemble here, to get their ftock
of provifions. They dilperfe their little moveable habita-
tions upon the. fmall hills beforementioned, and hunt every
day till they have taken what is fufficient, and then return to
their refpeftive countries.

Near the fea-fide, and almoft clofe to the great ridges of
fand, is a great lake, called the Mar Chiquito, or Little Sea.
It is about five leagues dift ant from Cape Lobos, and is about
the fame number of leagues in length, though not above
Wo or three miles broad. It is fait, and communicates with
the ocean by a river which pafles through the fand-banks.
There arc aifo three or four fmall rivers, that iflue from the
north fide of the mountains of the Vuulcan and Tandil,
and crofTing the plain from weft to eaft, occafion fome bogs
or marfhes, and empty themfelves into this lake. Thefe
rivers are of fweet water, and have fome bagres in them,
with great numbers of otters, as before defcribed: the largeff
of them is that which comes from the Tandil, and enters into
the northern point of the lake.

To the north of thefe rivers the foil grows confiderably
better, the grafs being high and verdant, and fo continuing
to the foot of the mountains ; but there are no woods, nor

T even

ill

( 70 )

even fingle trees. The mountains, though they are not very-
high, may be diftinguifhed very plainly in a clear day at the
diftance of twenty leagues, the country being fo extremely
flat and level.

Thefe mountains are not one continued ridge, but many
mountains or ridges of mountains, and between them are
large, pleafant vales, which interrupt their continuation.
They begin to rife at about fix leagues diftance from the fea-
coaft, and continue for about forty leagues to the weft.
They rife from the plain almoft perpendicular, and are
covered with grafs till within about ten yards of the top ;
and from thence there are great numbers of ftones, which
lie in fuch a manner as to form a wall, that enclofes the
mountain, except at one end, where it declines gradually.
The declining part is divided into hills and dales, with fmall
rivulets, which join at the bottom, and form one common
ftream. At the top there is a large country, with variety of
rocks, hollows, and hills ; with deep brooks, running among
frequent breaks of the leifer hills : there are alfo fmall
woods of a low, thorny tree, very fit for fuel. This variety
of country is from two to three leagues in length, and fome-
times a league in breadth, fometimes more, elpccially at
that end where it declines. At the foot of thefe mountains
there are abundance of fprings, which trickle down into the
vallies and form brooks. The paths by which they are
afcended are very few, and extremely narrow. Thefe the
Indians ftop up, to fecure the wild horfes. Sec. taken in the
Tuyu, which they turn upon the top, as there is no getting
from thence but by thefe narrow paffes, which are eafily
flopped.

Between thefe mountains there is a Ipace, about, two or
three leagues broad, of a plain level country, with fome

few

( 7i )
few lifmg grounds, watered with brooks ; which fometimes
run in the middle, and fometimes round them, and are
formed by the fprings which iffue from the mountams.
Thefe vaUies are very fertile, have a deep, black loil, with-
out any clay, and are always covered with fach fine grals,
that the cattle which feed there grow fat in a very ihoil
time. They are in general very much encloied by the
mountains at one end, or by Tome high hill which riies m.
the middle ;. are moft commonly open to the north or north
weft; and from the rifmg ground there is a piealant and.
deHghtful profpea a great way into the country, all the en-
clofed vales between the mountains being higher land than
the plains to the north. I have not feen any country, m
die diftria of Buenos-Ayres, fo capable of improvement as
this. The only inconvenience it is fubjea to is the want ot
good timber for building houfes ; which however, in the
courfe of a few years, and with fome litde trouble, might be,
remedied ; efpecially as there are fufhcient materials tor tem-
porary houfes, with roofs covered with reeds, which might
ferve till better could be had.

The fmall rivulets, or brooks, that flow from the mountains,
fometimes enter into, or form lakes ; fome of which are
more than a league In length. There is one of an oval
figure, that reaches from mountain to mountain, and is m
windy feafons very boifterous. There is alfo another, called
the Lake of the Cabrillos, which is in the fhape of the figure
7, and is as long, but not fo broad as the former. On this lake
there are great quanddes of ducks, of various kinds and co-
lours, fome of them as large as geefe; and on one point of
it I faw fuch numbers, that it was a difficult matter to diicern
the water, though wide. On one fide of this lake there are
hilk and, on^he other, a high, broken bank. At one
- - -pomt

( 7^ )

point there enters a fmall river, that comes from the moun-
tains, and, having no immediate drain or channel to carry it
off, breaks out, after running under ground, at the diftance
of a league, between the lake and the feacoaft.

That part of the mountains which falls to the eaft, and is
neareft to the fea, is called by the Spaniards Vulcan, from a
miilake or corruption of the Indian name, Vuulcan, or
Voolcan ; there being a large opening to the fouth, and
Vuulcan, in the Moluche tongue, fignifying an opening.
Volcanoes there are none ; though the Spanifh word feems
to imply that there are fuch in this country. The middle
part is called Tandil, or (as we pronounce it) Tandeel, from
a mountain of that name, which is higher than the reft.
The laft point of this ridge of mountains towards the weft is
called the Cayru.

To the eaft of the Vuulcan, towards the fea, the country
is unequal for about two leagues ; after which it is flat, with
brooks and watering places. Here are fome thick and almoft
impenetrable woods, as well in the hilly as in the low country;
in which are a great deal of the low, thorny tree, that grows
on the mountains, and plenty of elder trees, which here
grow very thick, and to the height of fix or feven yards.
The fruit is like ours, but very good to eat, being of a four
tafte corrected with an agreeable fweetnels. In other coun-
tries, to the north, as Buefios-Ayres, Cordova, &c. the fruit
is of a bitter, naufeous tafte, and the tree does not grow fo
high* Near the feacoaft, about three miles diftant. from the
fea, is a rifmg ground, which continues along the coaft for
about four leagues, and is exceedingly fertile, with rich
paftures, where the cattle become extremely fat.

Near the ihore, in this part, are two little, round hills,
called the Cerros de los Lobos, or Hills of the Sea- Wolves.

The

mmmmmm

( 73 ■)

The. fiiore itfeU confifts of high rocks and large flones.
Here are great herds of fea-wolves and fea-lions (fuch as are
defcribed in Lord Anfon's Voyage) who fleep on the rocks,
and fuckle their young in the great caves in them. In the
woods there are many lions, but few tigers.

Lower towards the fouth, the coafl; for many leagues, as
far as the mouth of the Red River, or the Firll Defaguadero,
has perpendicular banks, of fuch a vafl: height, that it is
frightful to approach the brink of them ; bui thefe termi-
nate in low fands and fand-banks. All along this coaft there
are many linall brooks and rivers, which, croffing the plams
from the beforementioned mountains, enter into the ocean.

The country between the firfl; mountains and the Cafuhati
is plain and open, and the Indians are commonly four days
in paffing it, when they travel without tents. The Chechehets,
who travel to the Red River, go ftraight from the Vuulcan,
nearer to the coaft, and pafs between the Cafuhati and the
fea, about fifteen leagues to the eaft of that mountain, and as
much from the fea to the weft ; that they may avoid a vaft,
fandy defart, called Huecuvu Mapu, or the Devil's Country ;
where they and their families might be overwhelmed, if a
wind fhould arife at the time they are paffing over it.

The Cafuhad is the beginning of a great chain of mountains,
which forms a kind of triangle, whereof this makes one
angle ; and from hence one fide of the triangle extends to
the Cordillera of Chili, and another terminates in the
Straits of Magellan ; yet not without being fometimes inter-
rupted by vallies, and continued chains of mountains, that
run from north to fouth, with many windings. That part
which forms the Cafuhati is by much the higheft. In the
centre of fome lower hills rifes a very lofty mountain, that^
is as high as the Cordillera; and is always covered with fnow ;

U ' and

mmmm

'^^

and it is very feldom that any Indian ventures to the top of
it. From this high mountain all this part derives it's name ;
Cafu in the Fuel tongue, denoting hill or mountain, and
Hati, or Hatee, high. The Moluches call it Vuta Calel, or
Great Bulk. Some brooks and ftreams break out from the
fouthern part of this mountain, that have deep banks covered
with willows, which ferve for enclofures to fecure the cattle
of the Indians. AfteT running more to the fouth, they join
and form a fmall river, which, running fouth eaft, enters
into the Hueyque Leuvu, or Little River of Sauces, at fome
diftance from it's mouth. The hills of the Cafuhati, after
continuing about three or four leagues to the weft, have an
opening of about three hundred yards wide, which they
who take this ro^it (and not that between the Cafuhati and
the Red River) are obliged to pafs. It is called the Guamini,
or Guaminee, and has on both fides of it very fteep hills.
All the country near thefe hills is open and pleafant, and
abounding in paftures. The good enclofures that the hills
and brooks afford for the catde, and the plains to the weft-
ward having plenty of game, occafion it to be conftantly in-
habited by Indians of different nations ; who fucceed each
other according to their ftrength, the weakeft being always
obliged to leave the place-
To the weftward of the vaft country of the Tuyu, down
to the woods which are over againft the Cafuhati, is the coun-
try of the Dihuihets; having thefe woods to the fouth, the
Taluhets and jurifdi6lion of Cordova to the north, and the
Pehuenches to the weft. That part of this country which
-falls to the eaftward is open and champaign, with very few
woods or coppices, but is fubje^l: to frequent inundations
in fome parts, from the great fall of rains and the overflowing
of many extciifive lakes. Some of thefe, which lie to the

weft

■ai

{ 75 )

weft and the fouth of this country, produce as fine a cryftaL-
line-grained fait as thofe of St. Lucar. The Spaniards of
Buenos-Ayres take a journey every year to thefe lake% with
a <^uard of foldiers, to defend them and their cattle from the
attacks of the Indians, and load two or three hundred carts
with this neceffary commodity. The diilance from Buenos-
Ayres to thefe fait lakes is about one hundred and fifty
leagues. They are very large and broad, and fome of them
encompafled with wood to a confiderable diilance. Their
banks are white with the fait ; which needs no other prepa-
ration, than being a litde expofed to the fun and dried.

Farther to the weilward there is a river with very high,
fteep banks; whence it is called by the Spaniajrds Rio de las
Barancas, or River of Banks. It is called by the Indians
Hueyque Leuvu, or River of Sauces, or Willows, which
grow on it's banks. This river is of a confiderable fize,
though Htde when compared with the Red River and the
Black River. It is in general fhallow, and may be waded,
but has fometimes great floods, from rains and melted
fnows. It is formed in the plain country between the moun-
tains of Achala, Yacanto, and the Firft Defaguadero, or Red
River, from a great number of brooks which iffue from thofe
mountains, and takes it's courfe from thence fouth and fouth
eaft, dll it pafles within twelve or fourteen leagues to the eaft
of the Cafuhati, and enters into the ocean, after having received
another fmall river which flows from that mountain. But I
have fome doubts, from the reladons of the Indians, that
this river does not empty itfelf immediately into the ocean,
but into the Red River, a litde above it's mouth. All this
country abounds with wild horfes, e^ecially the eaftern part,
that lies neareft to the Tuyu and the mountains.

The country between the Hueyque Leuvu and the Red

River

X 76 )

^River IS much the fame, but rather more abounding in lakes
and marihes intermixed with woods.

The Firft Defaguadero, or Red River, is one of the
largeft that pafs through this country. It takes it's rife from
a great number of ft reams that break forth from the weftern
fide of the Cordillera, almoft as high as Chuapa, the moft
northern town of Chili ; and, taking an almoft direcl courfe
from north to fouth, abforbs all the rivers which flow from
this fide of the Cordillera, befides a vaft quantity of melted
fnow. It paffes, with a deep and rapid current, within about
ten leagues of San Juan and Mendoza : near the latter of
which places it receives the great river Tunuya, and another
called the River of Portillio, that joins with it, and is foon
after fwallowed up in the lakes of Guanacaehe. .

Thefe lakes are famous for the great numbers of trout
caught in them, but more fo for burying as it were in their
bofom fo vaft a river ; becaufe here it feems to end, ter-
minating in brooks and marfhes. But at a few leagues
•diftance it breaks out again, in a vaft number of rivulets,
which, joioing together, form one common river, called by
the Picunches, Huaranca Leuvu, that is, a Thoufand Rivers ;
either from the many leffer rivers of which it is compofed,
or it's great breadth ; it being after this very broad and Ihal-
low till it enters the ocean. The Pehuenches call this river
€um Leuvu, or Red River, it's banks being of a red

.•colour.

In the winter, when the ground is hardened by the
frofts, the Indians, &c. pafs over the marflies without any
inconvenience ; but when, by the heat of the fun, the fnow
melts in the Cordillera, the Defaguadero increafes to fuch a
degree, that it overflows the lakes and marihes, and renders
them, as well as the Red River impalfable, except by thofe

■■■

C 77 )

who are dexterous fwimmers : an ability tke Pehueiiches and
Picunches have not.

This river, from the part where the little rivers join it,
dire6ls it's courfe to the fouth eaft, till it approaches within a
day's journey of the Second Defaguadero, or Black River ;
when it turns dup eaft for about fifty leagues, approaching
the Cafuhati : it then turns again to the fouth eaft ; in which
courfe it continues till it difcharges itfelf into the fea. The
mouth of this river makes a large bay Or opening, but is
Very Ihallow, being flopped up with mud and land banks.

Sometime in this century a Spanifli velfel was loft at the
mouth of this river, in the Bahia Anegada ; the crew of
which faved themfelves in one of the boats, and failing up
^ the river, arrived at Mendoza. In the year 1734, or there-
abouts, the mafts and part of the hulk remained, and were
feen by the Spaniards, who at that time made an incurfion
within land, with their field-marfhal Don Juan de Samartin,
who told it me as an eye-witnels. The courfe pf this river
■therefore is eftablifhed paft all doubt.

The Tehuelhets of the Black River, and the Huilliches,
in their journey to the Cafuhati, pafs this river in the two
places where it takes thefe turns or windings to the eaft and
fouth eaft. It may be near a hundred and fifty yards wide in
thefe places, but not fo deep but that it may be waded, except
when it is raifed by the rains and melted fnows. It is then
fo deep, that the women and tents cannot pafs, and only the
men who can fwim, with their horfes. The Chechehets,
in their journey betwixt their own and the Spanifti territories,
pafs it near the mouth.

The country which lies between this river and the River
Sanquel (which difcharges itfelf into the Second Defagua-
dero} is full of marflies, and woods of that tliorny, thick,

X rough

( 78 )

rough reed, that is called Sanquel m the idiom of the Pe-
huenches ; fo as to be impaffable in any other manner, than
by going clofe to the Cordillera, and paffing the river at it's
fource, or where it iffues from thofe mountains.

Twelve leagues to the weft of the Cafuhati, and about fix
or eight from the Guamini, the Hueyque Leuvu before-
mentioned takes it's courfe. The way to this river confifts of
hills, dales, ftony mountains, and many woods. Thefe
woods are fo extremely thick, that they are paffable only
through two ftrait paths, which lead to the River Colorado,
or Red River ; one points to the weft, and the other inclines
to the fouth. Thefe woods continue above twenty leagues
to the north of the Colorado ; to the fouth, they extend to
the Second Defaguadero, but there they are fomewhat
thinner ; and, to the weft, they reach to the River Sanquel :
after which their thicknefs diminifhes. At about five or fix
leagues to the weftward of the River Hueyque there is a
large fait pond, in the middle of the woods, and about five
or fix leagues farther there is a fecond. There are likewife
two others ; one to the fouth, and another to the north.
They are well ftored with an excellent clean fait, of which
the Indians provide themfelves great quantities in their
iourneys. , There is alfo another very large fait pond not far
from the fea coaft, between the Firft and Second Defagua-
dero.

From the River Hueyque to the Firft Defaguadero, or
Red River, is four, and fometimes five days journey, with
tents ; which, at that part where it bends towards the fouth,
is through thick, low woods. From thence, travelling ftill
to the weft, upon the bank of this river, with the woods to
the north, for five or fix days more, you arrive at the place
where it comes from the north and doubles to the eaft; and,

7 hers

( 79 )

here k is paffed : when, after a long dayV journey direffly
to the fouth, over a craggy country encumbered with wood^,
where is no place to reft, the Black River, or Second
Defasuadero, is feen from the hills, which are very high,
ninning in a deep, broad vale, which is about two leagues
in breadth on each fide of the river. -riff^

This river, the sreateft of all Patagonia, empties itfelf into
the weftern ocean, and is known by various names ; as the
Second Defaguadero, or Second Drain ; the Defaguadero of
Nahuelhuaupi, or Drain of Nahuelhuaupi ; by Ae Spa-
niards called the Great River of Sauces, or Willows , by
W of the Indians, Cholehechel; ^7 *« Puelches, Leuvu
Camo, or the River, by Antonomafia; and Cufa LeuvLv
AaTis Rio Nearo, or Black River, by the Hml icnes and
Pehuenchel Where they crofs from the Firft to the Second
Defaguadero, it is called Cholehechel.- . „„„.,nt;s

The real fource of this river is not exaffly known,_but it is
fuppofed to rife not far from the beginmngs of the River ban-
qud It is formed by a great many brooks and fmall rivers
Zn unfeen among 'high, broken rocks, and is ftraitened
and locked up in a very narrow and deep channel ; till at
lenV it begins to Ihow itfelf in a very wide, deep and ra-
pid ftream, fomewhat higher than Valdiv.a, but on the oppo--
FiS f de of the Cordillera. At a fmall diftance from its- firft
!™ance many rivers fall into it; fome of which are large
and come from the Cordillera, and enter prmc.pally on the

"°f Tet^el or Southern Cacique defcribed upon my table
as many as fixteen, and told me their names, but not having
wrSn/materials at hand, I could not fet them down and
harin™ forgotten them. He added likewife, that he knew
no, place in the. river,, even before the entry of thefe leffeT

C 80 )

®nes, that was not very wide and deep. He did not know
where it began, but faid it came from the north. He was
brother to the old Cacique Cacapol, appeared to be upwards
of feventy years of age, and had lived all his time on the
borders of this river.

Of thefe rivers which enter on the north fide, one is
large, broad, and deep, and proceeds from a vaft lake, near
twelve leagues in length, and almoft round, called Huechun
Lavquen, or the Lake of the Boundary. This lake is
about two days journey from Valdivia, and is formed by fe-
veral brooks, fprings, and rivers, which come from the
Cordillera.

Befides the river it fends forth to the eaft and fouth,
which makes part of the great river, it may fend out another
weftward, which may communicate with the South Sea near
Valdivia : but this I cannot affirm, as I did not fufficiently
examine it.

There is alfo from the north another fmall river, which
comes higher up from the foot of the Cordillera, and crofles
the country from N. W. to S. E. This falls into the Defa-
guadero about a day and a halfs journey to the eaft . of
Huichin, the country of the Cacique Cangapol. It is called
Pichee Picuntu Leuvu, that is, the Little Northern River ;
to diftinguilh it from the Sanquel, which alfo enters into the
Second Defaguadero ; each of them being called by the
Indians the River of the North. The mouth of this river
is diftant from that of the Sanquel about four or five days
march.

The river Sanquel is one of the largeft in this country,
and may pals for another Defaguadero, or Drain, of the
fnowy mountains of the Cordillera. It comes very far north,
running between the mountains amongft deep breaks and pre^

cipices.

{ 81 }

ciplces, all the way augmented with new fupplles from the
many brooks that join it. It s firft appearance is at a place
called the Diamante, or Diamond ; from whence it is called
hy the Spaniards Rio del Diamante. At a fmall diftance
from it's fource confiderable brooks enter it, that come from
the foot of the Cordillera farther north ; and lower down,
towards the fouth, the River Lolgen difcharges itfelf into it.
This river is fo large, that the main ftream, by the Indians of
the Black River, is indifferendy called Sanquel Leuvu and
Lolgen. It is broad and rapid even at it's firft appearance,
and increafes by the many brooks and fprings it receives from
the mountains, and from the very moift country through
which it paffes for the fpace of three hundred miles, taking
an almoft ftraight courfe from N. to S. by E. till it enters into
the Second Defaguadero, or Black River, by a very wide and
open mouth.

At the conflux of thefe two rivers there is a great whirl-
pool ; yet in this very place the Indians pafs it, fwimming over
with their horfes. The current of the Sanquel throughout
is very violent, efpecially on it's increafe. It's banks are co-
vered with reeds and very lofty willows.

On the fouth fide of the Great or Second Defaguadero there
enter but two rivers of any note. One is called the Lime
Leuvu by the Indians, and by the Spaniards the Defaguadero,
or Drain, of Nahuelhuaupi, or Nauwelwapi. The people
of Chili give the fame name to all the great river; but this
is through a miftake, they being ignorant of fome of it's
branches; of which this is only one, and not fo big as the
Sanquel, and much lefs than the main branch, even at it's
firft appearance out of the Cordillera.

This river proceeds, with a great and rapid ftream, from
the Lake of Nahuelhuaupi, almoft due north, through vales

Y and

( 82 )

and marllies, and continues it's courfe for about thirty leagues
receiving a great many brooks in it's pafTage from the neigh-
bouring hills, till it enters into the Second Defaguadero,
fomething lower than that which comes from Huechun
Lavquen, or the Lake of the Boundary. It is called by
the Indians Lime Leuvu, becaufe the vales and marfhes
through which it flows abound with ticks and blood-leeches,
and thefe are called in the tongue of the Huilliches, lime,
or leeme ; and the country Leeme Mapu, the Country of
Ticks ; and the people Leeme Che, People of Ticks.

The Lake of Nahuelhuaupi is one of the greateil that is
formed by the waters of the Cordillera, and (according to
the account of the Chilenian Miffionaries) is near fifteen
leagues in length. On one fide of it, near it's bank, is a
fmall, low iiland, called Nahuelhuaupi, or the Ifland of
Tigers ; nahuel fignifying a tiger, and huaupi an ifland. It is
fituated in a great plain, encompaffed by hills, rocks, and
mountains; from which it receives many brooks and lprings>
as well as water from the melted fnows. A fmall river enters
it on the fouth fide, which comes from the country of
Chonos, on the continent over againft Chiloe.

The other river which enters the Second Defaguadero
from the fouth is but fmall, and is called by the Indians
Machi Leuvu, or the River of Wizards ; but wherefore, I
know not. It comes from the country of the HuillicheSj
runs from fouth to north, and difcharges itfelf into the main
river a little lower than the Lime Leuvu.

The Second Defaguadero from hence takes it's courfe to the
eaft, making a fmall bend northward as it comes to the
Cholehechel, where it approaches within ten or twelve leagues
of the Firft Defaguadero; then it winds downward to the
fouth eaftj till it enters into the oceao*

Some

( 83 )

Some fmall diftance below this laft winding it makes a
large fweep, or circle, forming a peninfula; the neck of le
is about three miles wide, and the peninfula, which is almoit
round, is about fix leagues over. It is called the EncloiuTe
of the Tehuelhets, or Tehuel-Malal. The river, till it
comes to this enclofure, has high hills and mountains on both
fides, but fo far diftant, as to leave, in many places, plains-
between them and the river of two or three miles broad,
which abound with pafture for catde, and are never iown r
In other places the hills come clofe to the water. The banks
are covered with willows, and it contains a few lilands
difperfed here and there ; among which there is one of a
large fize, in the country of the Cacique Cacapol, where
that chief and his vaffals fecure their horfes from being Itolen
by the Pehuenches. I never heard of any falls m this river^,
or that it is fordable in any part of it. It is very rapid, and
the floods are very extraordinary, when the rains and melted
fnows come down the v/eft fide of the Cordillera, compre-
hending all that falls from thirty-ftve to forty-four degrees of
fouthern latitude, being a chain of feven hundred and twenty
miles of mountains. This rifmg of the river is fo fudden
that though it maybe heard at a great diilance, beating and
roaring among the rocks, yet it hardly gives fufficient notice
to theWian women, to pull down their tents, and carry off
their baggage ; nor to the Indian men, to fecure their cattle
by removing them to the mountains. Many difafters happen
oftentimes in confequence of this great flood; the whole
vale is deluged, and tents, catde, and fometimes women and
children, are carried down the vaft , impetuous torrent.

The mouth of this river, which opens into the Atlantic
Ocean, has, I believe, never been properly furveyed. It is
called the Bay Sans Fond, or Bottomlefs Bay ; whether from

Its

(

)

it's depth, or it^s fhallownefs (as fome imagine) I do not
know, but I fhould rather imagine from the former ; for I
cannot fappofe that a river fo extremely rapid, and which
takes a courfe of near three hundred leagues, from the foot
of the Cordillera, among rocks and ftones, could carry
along with it any great quantity of fand ; or, if it did, that
the fand could lodge at the mouth, againft the force of fo
violent a current. The Spaniards call it the Bay of Saint
Matthias, and place it in forty degrees forty-two minutes fouth
latitude ; though in Mr. D'Anville's map it is placed two de-
grees farther from the line. I cannot think the diftance is
fo great between the Firft and Second Defaguaderoes ; all
the Indians affirming that thefe two rivers enter into the fea
at no great diftance from each other: wherefore, in my
map, I have taken a middle diftance.

In an expedition in the year 1746, to examine the fea-
coaft, &c. between the River of Pla^^j and the Straits of
Magellan, the mouth of this river was not examined, although
the captain of the (hip was urged to make the proper difpo-
fitions for fuch an examination ; but he negle6led to give no-
tice when he was got near to it's latitude. His reafons for
this condu6l were, " that his orders were only to difcover if
" there was any port, fit to make a fettlement, near or not
" very far from the mouth of the Straits, that might afford
** fupplies for fhips in their paffage to the South Seas ; that
" he had furveyed all from Port Gallegos, without finding
" one place fit for forming a fettlement upon, on account of
" the barrennefs of the foil, and the want of the common
" neceffaries of woodland water; that he had done what was
'' fufficient to quiet the King of Spain, with refpeft to any
*' jealoufies he might have of a certain northern nation's being

fo foolilh as to attempt a fettlement in fuch a country,

" where

((

mmmm

(85 )

' where as many as were left muft perifh ; that the Bay Sans

Fond was at too great a diftance from Cape Horn, to
** come within the circle of his infl:rii6lions ; that his ftock
*' of frefh water was fcarce fufficient to reach the River of
" Plata, and that he was not certain whether he fliould be
^' able to get any more at the mouth of the River of Sauces."

A fettlement at the mouth of this river would be much
more convenient for fhips going to the South Seas than that
of Buenos-Ayres ; where a ihip may be a fortnight, or a
month, before it can get out, on account of the contrary
winds, and then not being able to get over the flats but at
high water : and after this, it will take up a week, to get
dow» ts low as the Bay Sans Fond ; when a velTel that failed
from hence might by that time have doubled Cape HorUj
and got into the South Sea.

If any nation fhould think proper to people this country
it might be the caufe of perpetual alarm to the Spaniards ; as
from hence fhips might be fent into the South Seas, and their
fea ports deftroyed, before fuch a fcheme or intention could
be known in Spain, or even in Buenos-Ayres. And farther,
a nearer way might be difcovered, by navigating the river
with barges near to Valdivia. Many troops of the Indians
of -th^ river, the ftouteil of all thefe nations, would enlift
themfelves for the fake of plunder; fo that the important
garrifon of Valdivia might be eafily taken ; which would of
courfe drav/ after it the taking of Valparaifo, a much weaker
fortrefs ; and the poffeffion of thefe two places would enfure
the conqueft of the fertile kingdom of Chili.

A fetdement is much more practicable here, than in the
Malouin liland^, or the Ports of Defire and San Julian;
here being plenty of wood and water, and a good country,
ht for tillage, and able to maintain it's inhabitants. The con*

Z veniences

86- )

ifenienees for a fettlement on the enclofure of the Tehiiel-
Iiets are very great ; it being defended by this great and rapid
river, which forms as it v\^ere a natural fofs, and containing
eighteen miles in length of a very friiitfal country, abound-
ing with paftures, and ftored w4th plenty of hares, rabbits,
wild fowl, deer, &c. and from the river it might be fupplied'
with plenty of fiili of various kinds.

It is a eonfideration of fome weight, that the lettlers^
might be provided with cattle, as cows, horfes, &c. on
the fpot, at a very trifling expenfe. A commerce might alfa
be eilabliihed with the Indians ; who for fky-coloured glafs
beads, cafcabells of call brals, broad fwords^ heads of lances,
and hatchets, would exchange cattle for the ufe of the co-
lony, and fine furs to fend to. Europe. And fo rare is it that-
fhips meet in thefe feas, that all this might be done with fa
much fecrecy, that the place might be peopled and main-
tained many years, without the Spaniards being informed of
"'it. The French, for inftance, were fettled fevera4 years in
thofe fouthern iflands, without it's, being known to the na-
tions of Europe.

The woods hereabouts confift of the fame kind of trees
as are before defcribed, except one fort, which the Indians re*
gard as facred, and never burn. It produces a gum, of the
confiftenee, and almoft of the colour of yellow wax: on
burning, it has a very fragrant fmell, but is not like any of
the officinal gums ufed among us. I never faw this tree; but
the natives informed me it is but fmall. I have had fome
fmall quantities of the gum, which, mixed with wax, made
fmall candies.

All the feacoafl, from about twenty leagues to the fouth
of the Second Defaguadero, is a dry, barren country, with
¥ery little pafture, and uninhabited by man or beaft, except

a few:

!«■

a few gaanacoes, that fometimes defcend from the neighbour^-^
i-ncT mountains to the weft. It has no water for a great part
of^'the year, and what it has is to be found only m the lakes-
after great rains. At that feafon the Indians come down to-
this country, to bury their dead, and vifit the fepukhres,.
and to feek for fait at St. Julian's Bay, or upon the feacoalL
Some few ftony hills are difperfed here and there, and a me-
tallic ore, of a fpecies of copper, was found in. fome oi
them, at Port Defire. _ ^.

In the voyage made in 1746, no river was difcovered m ail
diis coaft, though every where (efpecially in the ports de-
fcribed in the old maps) the Spaniards and miffionanes.
went alhore, and travelled all round the different ports.
This convinced them of the miftake they had been under;
which was probably occafioned by the ftrong eddies, or
running out of the water at the low tides. As for the River
Gamarones, defcribed in Mr. D'Anville's map, as opening at
the bottom of the Bay of St. George with three mouths (andi
not in the Bay of Gamarones, as I have feen it in former
maps) I have placed it m my map, upon his authority ; but
at the fame time muft obferve, that in the abovementioned.
voyage no fuch river was difcovered, though we entered mto-
this wide bay. The diftance perhaps which the Ibip lay
from the (bore might be too great for our making certain ob^:
fervations. The Indians indeed fpeak of a river in the
country of Ghulilaw ; but I could not difcover whence it
came, or where it ended, or whether, being fmall, it was-
not fwallowed up in thofe defarts; as it often happens to other
areater rivers defcribed in this- map.

In the Bay of Lions the Spaniards went afliore, but did
not find any river. In the Bay of Gamarones there was-
nothing remarkable, but many huge rocks, that had the ap=>

, pearance---.

^earance of a city under water. The bottom of this bay
was fo fliallow at low water, that the frigate was left upon the
rocks, and Was obliged to wait for the tide to get off. In
the Gallegos Bay they likewife went afhore, but were called
on board again, before a thorough inquiry could be made
whether there was a river or not.

The territory of the Tehuelhet and otlier Patagonian
nations borders upon the weftern parts of this uninhabitable
country; and according to the relation of fome Spanifh
captives, whom I refcued from flavery among the Indians
(one of them had been feven years in that country) all this
part conlifts of vales enclofed within low ridges of moun-
tains, watered with fprings and fmall brooks, which are fwal-
lowed up in litde lakes, or watering places, that in fummer
dry up : fo that many of the inhabitants, at that feafon, go
to live on the Second Defaguadero, carrying their wives,
families, and all their baggage along with them ; and fome
*go even as far as the Cafuhati, the Vuulcan, and the Tandil.

Thefe vales abound in paftures, and have fome fmall
woods, which ferve for fuel. There are plenty of guana-
coes in this country, and in fome places they make their
tents of the fl^ins of this animal. There are likewife great
numbers of antas, whofe ikins the Tehueihets fell to the
other Puelches, with which the latter make their armour.

The anta is of the flag kind, but without horns. It's
body is as big as that of a large afs ; it's head very long and
tapering, ending in a fmall fnout ; it's body very ftrong, and
broad at the fhoulders and haunches ; it's legs and flianks are
long, and llronger than thofe of a flag ; it's feet cloven like
diofe of a ftag, but fomething larger; it's tail fhort, like
that of a deer. The ftrength of this animal is wonderful ;
it being able to drag a pair of horfes after it, when one horfe

(

)

IS fafiBcient to take a cow or a biilL When ke is purfued,
he opens his way through the thickeft woods and coppices,
breaking down every thing that oppofes him. I do not
know whether there have ever been any attempts to tame this
animal, though it is by no means fierce, and does no mil-
chief but to the ; chacras, or plantations, and might be of
great fervice, on account of it's flrength, if it could be
brought to labour.

There are no wild horfes in this country, but the tame ones
bred here are fuperior, both in- beauty andllrength, to any
in South America; endtaring long journeys, without any
other provifion than what they pick up by the way ; and in
courage and fwiftnefs they are exceeded by none. There is
alfo: plenty of fmall; .game, and the Indians, who are very
numerous, live chiefly upon it. There are like wife conii-
derable quantities of the occidental bezoar, found not only
in the ftomach of the guanacoes and vicunias, but alfo of the
anta^j though in this lafl it is fomewhat coarfer. When it is
given in a confiderable quantity,; it greatly promotes a dia-
phorefis. I have almofl always found it give relief and im-
mediate eafe in heartburns, faintings, Sec. the dofe confifting
of' a dram, or two fcruples, taken in any thing; though it
might be given in a larger quantity with great fafety. I have
found it preferable, in many cafes, to our teftaceous pow-
ders, and mineral fubftances. I have had fome of thefe
Hones that weighed eighteen ounces each.

There are many fpecies of the fowl kind, fuch as doves,
turtles, ducks, pheafants, partridges, &c. which I mention,
as profitable, though not regarded or ufed by the Indians.
There are alfo birds of prey, as eagles, vukuresj kites,
gleads,^ owls, and falcons. But, fo far to the fouth, there
are neithei; lions, nor tigers^ except in the Cordillera.

: - A a The

l;!i.

( 90 )

The country of the Pluilliches, over agalnft the Tehuel
Mapu, and to the fouth of Valdivia, is, according to the rela-
tions of the miffionaries, a very poor country, and deftitute
of all the common neceffaries of life ; as indeed is all that fea-
coaft below Chili, to the Magellanic Straits. The people of
the coaft live chiefly upon fifh, and are diftinguifhed by the
names of Chonos, Poy-yus, and Key-yus. Of thefe two laft
nations, thofe who live farther from the coaft hunt on foot,
being very nimble, and inured to this exercife from their
infancy. In Chiloe, great part of the provifions for the
miflionaries, and the garrifon of Spanilh foldiers, is fent
from Valdivia, or other feaports of Chili.

In this ifland there is a fmall city, or rather village, called
Caftro ; where a Spanifh captain, or deputy governor,
refides.

The mountains of the Huilliches are confiderably lower
than thofe towards the north, fo that they are in this country
paflable at all times of the year, and befides have frequent
openings. They are well covered with wood and even
timber. There is a kind of tree peculiar to this country,
which the Indians call lahual, and the Spaniards, alerce, or,
according to our pronunciatioUj lawal and alerfey. It was
not very particularly defcribed to me i but I take it to be
of the fir kind. What is very remarkable in it, is it's con-
venience for being Iplit into boards, it's trunk being naturally
marked with ftraight lines from top to bottom ; fo that, by
.cleaving it with, wedges, it may be parted into very ftraight
boards, of any thicknefs, in a better and fmoother manner
than if they were fawn. Thefe trees are very large, as I
have been informed ; bat I cannot pretend to fay what
is their general diameter*

If plants or feeds of this tree were brought over itito

England,

!■ ^

( 91 )

England it is veiy probable they would thrive here, the
climate being as cold as in the countries where it grows;
and it is there reckoned to be the moft valuable timber they
have, both for it's beauty and duration. It may not be im-
proper to obferve in this place, that by means ot the rivers
of Nahuelhuaupi, Sanquel, and Lolgen, great quanUUes ot
this wood, pine-trees, &c. might be fent down m large
floats, to the Great River of Sauces, and fo to the Bay ot San
Matthias, for the building of fhips, houfes, &c.

The Huilliches have alfo a fpecies of tobacco, which they
bruife when almoft green, and make into fliort, thick cylin.
drical rolls. It is of a dark-green colour, and when fmoked
yields a ftrong, difagreeable fmell, fomething different from
the Virginia tobacco. It is very ftrong, and foon intoxicates ;
fo that they hand the pipe from one to another, and each
takes a whiff in his turn, as the continuing it for any length
of time would difturb the fenfes. ; ^

The country of thofe Tehuelhets that live nearer and
clofe up to the Straits, as the Sehuau-cunnees, and Yacana-
cunnee;, is much the fame as of the other Tehudhets.
They have within land fome high woods, and a fmall ihrub,
which produces a fruit very like our winbernes, but iome-
thing hotter: they are good to eat, and very proper tor the

climate. n i r u f

The Tierra del Fuego is compofed of a great number ot
iflands. Thofe to the weft are fmall and low, full of marlhes
and fens, and moftly uninhabitable, being often covered
with water ; but thofe which are to the eaft are bigger,^and
higher land, with mountains and woods, and are inhabited
by Indians of the Yacana-cunnees, and thefe have had tre-
quent communicadon with the French and Spaniards who^

went thither from the Malouin Iflands to get wood i can-

not

( 92 )

not pretend to fay, whether in thefe large illands there is
any game, befides that of fowl : but it is highly credible,
that the Indians who dwell there do not live entirely upon
fifii, which it is very difficult to take during the winter in
thefe cold climates.

In the year 1765 or 1766 (I do not remember which) a
SpaniOi (hip, laden with merchandize for Peru, was driven
afhore and beat to pieces upon the Ifland del Fuego, about
fourteen leagues (as they reckoned) from the Straits mouth.
The crew being laved, they made themfelves a vefTel, big
enough to carry them and their provifions to Buenos-Ayres;
where they informed the Governor, Don Pedro de Cevallos,
that the Indians, natives of this ifland, were very humane
and hofpitable, and helped them to carry down many very
heavy trees, which they had fallen for the building of their
veflel, and alTifted them in every thing: that they had been
very liberal of theii cargo to the Indians, who eiteemed
thofe things leaft which were of the greateft value, as filk,
latin, tiffues, &c. and were more defirous of the coarfeft
cloths, to keep them warm: that at firfl: they came down in
great numbers with their arms, bows and arrows; and that
their manner of expreffing a defire of friendfhip and peace
was by laying down their arms, bowing their bodies, and
then leaping up and rubbing their bellies, or beating on them
with their hands. The Governor fent this account to the
Court of Spain, and propofed the fixing a- colony in this
ifland; but the French being at that time tampering with the
Spanifh Court about the purchafe of the Malouin Iflands^
the prudent defigns of the Governor were fruilrated, and he
was recalled to his own country.

Tamu, the Yacana-cunnec Cacique, told me that they ufed
a kind of float, with which they fometiraes pafled the Straits,

and

■HtRm

( 93 )

and had communication with thofe of his nation: from
whence it is evident, that this place has the conveniences of
wood, water, and foil; and, if there could be found a tole-
rable harbour, it would be much more convenient for a
colony, and have a better command of the paffage to the
South Sea, than FalMand^s Illands.

The Malouin or Falkland's Illands are many in number;
fomeare exceeding fmall; but there are two which are very
large. What I Ihall relate concerning them is according to
the accounts which I have received from many of the Spanilh
officers, who went to receive this country from the French,
and tatranfport the Spaniards thither from Buenos-'Ayres, as

well as, to carry away the French inhabitants ; and alfo from
a: French gunner, who failed with me from the River of
Plata to the Port of Cadiz, and had refided in thofe illands
feveral years. All thefe were unexceptionable witneffes.

Thefe illands are fo low and boggy, that after a (hower of
rain it is impoffible to ftir out, without fmking up to the
knees in mire. The houfes are built with earth, and from
the exceeding moifhnefs of the country, are green within
withmofs; and bricks cannot be made for want of fuel.
The fettlers have fown various kinds of grain, as corn, bar-
ley, peafe, beans, &c. but the land is fo barren, that they
all run into grafs and ftraw, and yield no crop. All the
induftry of the French, for feveral years, could only ac-
complish the raifmg a fmall quantity of falad ; and this they
efFeaed by gathering the dung of all their animals ; cows,
hogs, and horfes. The only animals which are natural to
thefe iflands are penguins and buflards, and thefe laft are
alone eatable. They are but indifferent food, are killed by
fhooting, and foon grew fo ihy, that they became very dear.
Some iifh are alfo taken, but in quantities by no means pro-^

B b portionabl^

( 9i )

portlonable to the wants of the inhabitants. So great is the
poverty of the country, that the Spanifh Governor of Buenos-
Ayres was obliged to be at the expenfe of fending fhips every
three or four months, to maintain the people and garrifon
without any returns; and though live hogs, cows, and
hories have been carried thither, yet the country is fo cold,
lo moiii, and fo barren of flielter, that they never increafe •
fo that thefe charges muft laft as long as the fettlement conti-
nues. There is no wood, and nothing that ferves for fuel
Dut a low Ihrub, fomething like our furze or heath, and this
but in fmall quantities : the inhabitants therefore are obliged
to fend fmall veifels to fetch wood from Tierra del Fuego.
Water is almoft the only neceffary this country affords, be-
lides the convenience of a good harbour ; which yet docs
not appear to anfwer the end for which the fetdement was
made : for as this Haven of Soiidad lies open to the north
or north eaft, a fhip muff have a wind from that quarter, to
enter it. Now as fuch a wind is the molf favourable for paffing
Gape Horn, a fhip would hardly enter here, and lofe the
favourable gale that would carry her into the South Sea •
efpecially as fhe muft wait for a contrary wind to get out
again, and then for a north eafterly wind to fleer for Gape
Horn; and all this in a place where there are no hopes of
taking in any other provifion befides water.

The French fent people to thefe iflands in the time of the
laft war, to fecure a port for their fhips coming from the Eafl
Indies by^thc South Sea; which courfe they took at that
time, to efcape the Englifh privateers: but when the war
v/as over, being tired of fo wretched a colony, and fo many
expenfes, which now ceafed to anfwer, they determined to
leave them. But being defirous (if poffible) to recover the
;noney laid out here, they reprefented , their Jiew acquifitions

*^i in

{ 95 )

in fo favourable a manner to the Spanifii Court, that the
King of Spain agreed to pay five hundred thoufand dollars
(fome fay eight hundred thoufand, and others enlarge the
fum to a million) for their ceding them to Spain : whereof
the King of France was to receive a part, and the reft to go
to Monfieur Bougainville the proprietor ; befides fome car-
goes of goods, bought with this money in the Rio Janeiro,
permitted to be fold in Buenos-Ayres. All this the captain
of a Spanifh frigate reprefented, with a great deal of freedom,
to the prefent Governor of Buenos-Ayres, in the prefence of
Monfieur Bougainville ; complaining of the trick put upon
the King of Spain, and protefting that no perfon, com-
miffioned to receive thefe iflands, could, confiilently with
the loyalty he owed his Sovereign, or his obligations as a
Chriftian, upon feeing them, accept the delivery, till he had
fir ft given an account of them to the Court of Spain; it
being evident that they had been grofsly impofed upon.
Monfieur Bougainville did not think proper to con{radi6],
what this officer had faid ; who, befides being an unexception-
able eye-witnefs himfelf, could (if neceilary) have corroborated
his account by the teftimoriies of a hundred people, who
were lately arrived with the e:5^portation of the French inha-
bitants.

The Spaniards traniported with their colony two Francifcan
friars, and a governor or vice-governor ; who, beholding
their fettlement^ were overwhelmed with grief; and the
Governor, Colonel Catani, at the departure of the fhips for
Buenos-Ayres, with tears in his eyes declared, that he thought
thofe happy who got from fo miferable a country, and that
he himfelf fhould be very glad if he was permitted to throw
up his commiflion, and return to Buenos-Ayres, though in
no higher ftation than that of a cabin-boy.

CHAPTER

'''^i^^^''^^=^'^s^^^'-f^^^

CHAPTER IV.

An Account of the InhaUtants of the mojl Southern Part of
AMERICA, defcribed in the Map.

•3D

BHE nations of Indians, which inhabit thefe parts,
S bear among themfelves the general denominations
of Moluclies and Puelches.

The Moliiches are known among the Spaniards
by the names of Aucaes and Araucanos.

' The former of thefe is a nick-name, and a word of re-
proach, meaning rebel, wild, favage, or banditti ; the word
aucani fignifying to rebel, rife, or make a riot, and is ap-
plied both to men and beafts, as auca cahiial is a wild horfe,
aucatun, or aucatuln, to make an uproar.

They call themfelves Moluches, from the word molun,
to wage war; and moluche fignifics a warriom-. They are
difperfed over the country both on the call and weft fides of
the Cordillera of Chili, from the confines of Peru to the
Straits of Magellan, and may be divided into the different
nations of the Picunches, Pehuenches, and Huilliches.

The Picunches are the moft northern of thefe people, and
are fo called from picun, which in their language fignifies
north, and che, men or people. They inhabit the moun-
tains, from Coquimbo to fomewhat lower than St. Jago of
Chili. Thefe are the moft valiant and the biggeft-bodied
mm of all the Moluches; efpeciaily thofe to the weft of the

Cordillera:

( 97 )

Cordillera J among wliich are thofe of Peiico, Tucapel, and
Arauco ; from which laft, the Spaniards by miftake gave the
name of Araucanos to all the reft of the Indians of Chili,
Thofe who live to the eaft of the Cordillera reach fomething
lower than Mendoza, and are called by thofe on the other
fide Puelches, puel fignifying eaft. But by others who live
towards the fouthj they are called Picunches. I knew feme
of their Caciques ; whofe names were Tfeucan-antu, Pilque-
pangi, Caru-pangi, and Caru-lonco.

The Pehuenches border on the Picunches to the north,
and reach from over againft Valdivia to thirty five degrees of
fouth latitude. They derive their name from the word
pehuen, which fignifies pine-tree ; becaufe their country
abounds with thefe trees. As they live to the fouth of the
Picunches, they are fometimes called by them Huiiliches, or
Southern People, but moft generally Pehuenches. Their
Caciques were Colopichun, Amolepi, Nonque, Nicolafquen,
Guenulep, C ufu-huanque, Col-nancon, Ayalep and Antu-
cule. The laft was a young Cacique, w4iom I knew very well.

Thefe two nations were formerly very numerous, and
were engaged in long and bloody wars with the Spaniards,
whom they almoft drove out of Chili, deftroyed the cities of
the Imperial, Oforno, and Villarica, and killed two of their
prefidents, Valdivia, and Don Martin de Loyola ; but they
are now fo much diminifhed, as not to be able tomufter four
thoufand men among them all. This has been in fome mea-
fure owing to their frequent wars with the Spaniards of Chili,
Mendoza, Cordova, and Buenos-Ayres, with their neigh-
bours the Puelches, and with one another. But v\^hat has
made the greateft havock amongft them, is the brandy
which they buy of the Spaniards, and their pulcu, or chicha,
which they make themfelves. They often pawn and fell

C c their

mmm

( ,9« J

their wives and children to the Spaniards for brandy, with
which they get drunk, and then kill one another ; and it
feldom happens that the party who has fuffered moft on
thefe occaiions v/aits long for an opportunity of revenge.
The fmall pox alfo, which was introduced into this country
by the Europeans, caufes a more terrible deflru6lion among
them than the plague, defolating whole towns by it's malig-
nant effe6ls. This diforder is much more fatal to thefe people,
than to the Spaniards or Negroes, owing to their grofs habit
of. body, bad food, and want of covering, medicines, and
neceffary care : for the neareft relations of thofe who fall
fick fly from them, to avoid the diftemper, and leave them
to perifh, perhaps in the middle of a defart. About forty
five years ago, the numerous nation of the Chechehets, hav-
ing caught this diforder in the neighbourhood of Buenos-
Ayres, endeavoured to fly from it, by retiring into their own
country, which was about two hundred leagues difl;ant,
through vaft defarts. During this journey they daily left be-
hind them their fick friends and relations, forfaken and alone,
with no other afliftance than a hide reared up againft the
wind, and a pitcher of water. Thus they have been brought
fo low, that they have not more than three hundred men ca-
pable of bearing arms.

The Huilliches, or Southern Moluches, reach from Val-
divia to the Straits of Magellan. They are divided into four
diftinft tribes or nations. The fir 11 of thefe reaches to the
Sea of Chiloe, and beyond the Lake of Nahuelhuaupi, and
fpeak the Chilenian tongue. The fecond nation are the
Ghonos, who live on and near the iflands of Chiloe. The
third nation is called Poy-yus, or Peyes, and inhabits the fea-
coaft from forty eight to a little more than fifty one degrees of
fouth latitude ; and from thence to the Struts live the fourth

mam

( 99 )

nation, called the Key-yus, or Keyes. Tliefe laft three
nations are known by the name of Vuta Huiiliches, or Great
Hailliches, becaufe they are bigger-bodied men than the firft,
who are called Pichi Huilliches, or Little Huilliches. They
feem likewife to be a different people ; as the language they
fpeak is a mixture of the Moluche and Tehuel languages.
The other Huilliches, and the Pehuenches, fpeak in the fame
manner with one another, and differ only from the Picunches
in ufmg the letter S inftead of R and D, not having thefe tvvo
letters in their alphabet : and the Picunches, having no S,.
ufe R and D inftead of it ; and oftentimes T, where, the
others ufe CH ; as domo, for fomo, a woman ; huaranca,
for huafanca, a thoufand ; vuta, for vucha, great. Thefe
nations are numerous, efpecially the Vuta Huilliches. The
Caciques of the firft, or Pichi Huilliches, were Puelraan,
Painiacal, Tepuanca ; whom I have feen ; with many others,
whofe names I have forgotten.

The Puelches, or Eaftern People (fo called by thofe of
Chili becaufe they live to the eaft of them) are bounded on the
weft by the Moluches, down to the Straits of Magellan ; by
which they are terminated on the fouth ; on the north, by
the Spaniards of Mendoza, San Juan, San Louis de la
Punta, Cordova, and Buenos- Ayres ; and to the eaft, by the
ocean. They bear different denominations, according to
the fituation of their refpe6live countries, or becaufe they
were originally of different nations. Thofe towards the
north are called Taluhets ; to the weft and fouth of thefe are
the Diuihets ; to the fouth eaft, the Chechehets ; and to the
fouth of thefe laft is the country of the Tehuelhets, or, in
their proper language, Tehuel-Kunny, i. e. Southern Men.

The Taluhets border to the weft on the Picunches, and
dwell oil the eaft ftde of the Firft DefaguaderO;, as far as

the

'( lOO )

the lakes of Guanacache, in the juriiHiaions of St. Juan
and St. Louis de la Punta, fcattered in fmall troops, and
leldom fixed to one place. There are aifo fome few of
them in the jurifdiaion of Cordova, on the Rivers Quarto,
Tercero, and Segundo ; but the greater part are either de-
ftroyed by their wars widi the other Puelches and the Mo-
covies, or have taken refuge with the Spaniards. There
were formerly fome of this nadon in the diflrift of Buenos-
Ayres, on the rivers of Lujan and Conchas, and that of the
Matanza ; but they are now no more. Their Caciques were
Mugeloop» Alcochoro, Galelian, and Mayu.

Of this nation fo few remain at prefent, that they are
fcarce able to raife two hundred fighung men, and only
xnake a kind of piratical war in fmall pardes, except when
they are affifted by their neighbours, the Picunches, Pe-
iiuenches, and Diuihets ; and, even with all their aux-
iliaries, cannot bring into the field above five hundred men
at the moft, and feldom fo many. This nation, and that
of the Diuihets, are known to the Spaniards by the name of

Pampas. r i

The Diuihets border weftwardly upon the country ot the
Pehuenches, from thirty five to thirty eight degrees of
fouthern ladtude, and extend, along the rivers Sanquel,
Colorado, and Hueyque, to within about forty miles of the
Cafuhad on the eaft. They are of the fame wandering dif-
pofition with the Taluhets, and are not much more numerous,
having been greatly deftroyed in their attempts to plunder
the Spaniards ; fomedmes taking part with the Taluhets, at
other dmes with the Pehuenches, and frequently making
their excurfions alone, on the frontiers of the mount.ains
of Cordova and Buenos- Ayres, from the Arrecife to Lujan;
liiliins the men, taking the women and children for Haves
^ " and

■ ( lOl )

and driving away the cattle. The Caciques of this nation^
were Concalcac, Pichivele, Yahati, and DoenoyaL

Thefe two nations fubfift chiefly on the flelh of mares,
which they hunt, in fmall companies of about thirty or forty
each, in the vafl: plains betwixt Mendoza and Buenos- Ayres;
where they often meet with large troops of Spaniards, fent
out on purpofe, who execute the laws of retaliation with at
leaft equal cruelty. But this is not the only danger which
they run the rifk of: for if the lehuelhets, or Chechehets^,
have reached the Cafuhati, or the Vuulcan and Tandil, at
the time when the Diuihets and Taluhets are about to retire
with their booty, they continue to fall on them in their retreat
(particularly in places v/here the length of the march obliges
them to halt for fome time to reft their cattle) kill all that refift,
ftrip the reft of every thing, and carry away the plunder.

The country of the Chechehets, or People of the
Eaft, lies properly between the River Hueyque and the
Firft Defaguadero, or River Colorado, and from thence
to the Second Defaguadero, or Black River ; but they
are perpetually wandering about, and move their habitations,
and feparate, for the moft trifling motives, and oftentimes
from no other reafon, but their natural propenfity to roving.
Their country abounds only in the lefTer kinds of game, as
hares, armadilloes, oftriches, Sec. producing few or no gua-
nacoes. When they go up to the mountains of the Tandil
and the Cafuhati, on account of the fcarcity of horfes, they
are fo very unfldlful in hunting, Sec. that they never bring
back any on their return, unlefs their neighbours theTehuelhets
give them fome, or they have the good fortune to furprife
fome of the parties of the Pehuenches, who generally re-
turn well provided. In other refpefts, they are a poor,
harmlefs, and flncere people, and more honeft than the

D d Moluches

102

)

Mcluches or the Taluhets. They are very fuperflitious, ex«
tremely addifted to divinations and witchcraft, and are eafily
deceived. They are in general a tall, ftout race of people,
like their neighbours the Tehuelhets ; but they ipeak a dif-
ferent language. Although they are mild and humble in
peace, they are bold and adive in war, as the Taluhets and
Diuihets have often found to their coft; but now they are
reduced to a very fmall number, having been deftroyed by
the fmall pox. Their furviving Caciques were Sejechu and
Daychaco.

The Tehuelhets, who in Europe are known by the name
of Patagons, have been, through ignorance of their idiom,
called Tehuelchus : for chu lignifies country or abode, and
not people ; which is exprefled by the word het, and, more
to the fouth, by the word kunnee or kunny. Thefe and the
Chechehets are known to the Spaniards by the name of Ser-
lanos, or Mountaineers. They are fplit into a great many
fabdivilions, as the Leuvuches, or People of the River, and
Calille-Het, or People of the Mountains; amongfl: whom
are the Chulilau-cunnees, Sehuau-cunnees, and Yacana-
cunnees. All thefe, except thofe of the River, are called
by the Moluches, Vucha-Huilliches.

The L,euvuches live on the north and fouth banks of the
River Negro, or, as they call it, Cufu Leuvu. To the
north they have a large, uninhabited country, which is
quite impaffable from thick woods and lakes, and marflies,
v/hich are full of thorny, ftrong canes, which they call
fanquel. Thus all communication is fhut up from the
north, but by marching weftvv^ard, by the foot of the Cor-
dillera, or eaftward, by the feacoaft. This people feem to
be compofed of the Tehuelhets and Chechehets, but fpeak
the language of the latter, with a fmall mixture of the Tehuel

tongue.

( 1^3 )

tongue. On tlie eaftern Tide, they reach to the Chechehets t
on 'the weftern, they join to the Pehuenches and Huilliches ;■
to the north, they border on the Diuihets ; and, to the fouth,
on the other Tehuelhets. Going round the great Lake
Huechun Lavquen, they reach Valdivia in fix days journey
from Huichin. This nation feem to be the head of the
Chechehets and Tehuelhets, and their Caciques, Cacapol and
his fon Cangapol, are a kind of petty monarchs over all the
reft. When they declare war, they are immediately joined
by the Chechehets, Tehuelhets, and Huilliches, and by
thofe Pehuenches who live moft to the fouth, a litde lower
than Valdivia.

Of themfelves they are but few in number, it being with
the greateft difficulty that they are able to raife three hundred
fighting men, having been greatly leffened by the fmall pox
which reduced the Chechehets: for, having joined that na-
tion, they came to the plains of Buenos- Ayres in great
numbers, and attacked the famous Don Gregorio Mayu
Pilqui Ya, upon the Lake of the Lobos, with a ftrong party
of Taluhets; all of whom they cut off, and then retreated
to the Vuulcan : but unfortunately they carried away with
\hem fome cloaths, which a fhort time before had been,
bought at Buenos- Ayres, and were tainted with the fmall
pox. They have likewife been very much diminiihed in
their wars with their northern neighboi^rs, the Picunches,.
Pehuenches, and Taluhets; who, combining together, fome-
times come down upon them by the fide of the Cordillera
and furprife them. Whenever this happens, they avoid
their enemies by fwimming acrofs the river, which the others.,
are not able to do. But the children, which in the hurry
and confufion of flight are left behind, fall a prey to the
inhuman enemy ; who cruelly butcher all they find, not

fparing;

II li.!

( 104 ) ~

fparing eveii tliofe who hang up in their cradles. Thefe
attacks however are not always fo fecret, but that they fome-
times have advice of them, and then few efcape the fury of
this brave nation ; and their Cacique Cacapol fhews to his
guefts great heaps of bones, 'flculls. Sec. of thefe enemies,
whom iie boafts to have flain. The pohcy of this Cacique
is to maintain peace with the Spaniards, that his people
may hunt with fecurity in the vail plains of Buenos-Ayres,
between the frontiers of the Matanza, Conchas, and Mag-
dalena, and the mountains : for which reafon he does
not fuffer the other tribes to come down lower than Lujan,
to maintain peace on the fouthern fide. Wherefore his
Caciques and confederates, in the months of July, Auguft,
and September, place themfelves to hunt, where they may
watch the motions of their enemies; whom they often
attack and deftroy. On this account thefe Indians never
made war upon the Spaniards (though extremely jealous of
them) till about 1738 or 1740; when the caufes of the
diipute were as follows.

The Spaniards, very injudicioufly, and indeed ungrate-
fully, drove Mayu Pilqui-Ya, the only Taluhet Cacique who
was their friend, to his deftru6lion, by forcing him to retire to
2L diftance, expofed to the enemies which he had gained by
defending their territories from the reft of his countrymen
and the Picunches, and too far off to receive any fuccours
from themfelves. After the death of this Cacique, a party
,of Taluhets and Picunches attacked the farms of the Rivers
Areco and Arecife, led on by Tfeucanantu and Carulonco ;
and the Spaniards, with their Maeftre de Campo, Don Juan
de St. Martin, being too late to overtake the robbers, turned
to the iouthward, that they might not return empty-handed.
Here they met with the tents of the old Caleliyan, with one

half

( ^io5 )

half cf Ills people, who, entirely ignorant oF what had hap-
pened, were lleeping without fufpicion of danger. With-
out examining if thefe were the aggreffors, they fired upon
them while they lay afleep in their tents, and killed many of
them, with their wives and children. The reft, being awaken-
ed, and beholding the fad fpe6lacle of their ilaughtered wives
and children, were refolved not to furvive the lofs of them,
and fnatching up their arms, fold their lives as dearly as they
could ; but, in the end, diey and their Cacique were all
put to the fword.

The young Caleliyan was at that time abfent, but having
notice of what had happened, returned upon the retreat of
the Spaniards, and beholding the flaughter of his father, re-
lations, and friends, refolved on immediate vengeance ; and
raifing about three hundred men, among his countrymen and
the Picunches, fell upon the village of Lujan, killed a great
number of Spaniards, took fome captives, and drove awa/
fome thoufands of cattle. Upon this, the Spaniards raifed
about fix hundred of their militia, and a troop of regulars,
with all expedition, but not foon enough for fo fwlft an ene-
my. Not being able to overtake him, they turned round by
the fait ponds, and fell down to the Cafuhati, where the
Cacique Cangapol was at that time, with a few Indians, who
prudently retired. Being difappointed here, they returned
by the fea fide, towards the Vuulcan, where they met a
troop of Huilliches ; who, being friends and at peace, went
without arms to receive them, not having the leaft fufpicion
of any danger ; but by the order of the Maeftre del Campo
they were quickly furrounded and cut in pieces, although
the military officer of the troop remonftrated againft fuch a
proceeding, and interceded in their behalf. Having per-
formed this exploit,, they marched to the Salado, not above

E e forty

io6

forty leagues from the city, and about twenty from the
farms of Buenos- Ay res ; where a Tehuel Cacique, called
Tolmichi-ya, coufm to Cacapol, and the friend and ally of
the Spaniards, and much refpe6led by them, was encamped,
ijnder the prote6lion of the then Governor Salcedo. This
Cacique, with the Governor's letter in his hand, and fhewing
his licenfe, was fhot through the head by the Maeftre del
Campo ; all the Indian men were killed, and the women
and^ children made captives, with the youngeft fon of the
Cacique, a boy of about twelve years of age. His eldeft
fon very fortunately was gone out two days before, to hunt
wild horfes, with a party of Indians.

This cruel conduft of the Maeftre del Campo fo exafpe-
rated all the Indian nations of Puelches and Moluches, that
they all took arms againft the Spaniards ; who found them-
felves attacked at once, from the frontiers of Cordova and
Santa Fe, down the whole length of the River of Plate, on
a frontier of a hundred leagues ; and in fuch a manner,
that it was impoffible to defend themfelves : for the Indians,
in fmall flying parties, falling on many villages or farms at
the fame time, and generally by moon-light, it was impoffible
to tell the numbers of their parties ; fo that while the Spa-
niards purfued them in great numbers on one part, they
left all the reff unguarded.

Cacapol, who, with his Tehuelhets, as yet had lived in
friendfhip with the Spaniards, was highly irritated at the at-
tempt made on his fon, the flaughter of his friends the
Huilliches, the murder of his befl-beloved kinfman and
other relations, and the unworthy manner in which their
dead bodies had been treated ; and though he was at that
time near feventy years of age, he took the field at the head
of athoufand men (fome fay fgur thou&nd) confifting of

Tehuelhets

( i07 )

Tehuelhets, Huilliches, and Pehuenches, and fell upon the
Diftria of the Magdalen, about four leagues diftant from
Buenos-Ayres, and divided his troops with fo much judg-
ment, that he fcoured and difpeopled, in one day and a
night, above twelve leagues of the moft populous and plen-
tiful country in thefe parts. They killed many Spaniards,
^nd took a great number of women and children captives,,
with above twenty thoufand head of catde, befides horfes.
Sec. In this expedition the Indians loft only one Tehuelhet,
who, ftraggling from the reft in hopes of plunder, fell into
the hands of the Spaniards. Cangapol, the fon of Cacapol,
was purfued and overtaken ; but the Spaniards had not the
courage to attack him, though at that time double in num-
ber, both they and their horfes being quite tired with their
expeditious march of forty leagues, without taking any re-
frefhment.

The inhabitants of Buenos-Ayres, having early notice
from the fugitives of this unexpefted attack, were in the
moft terrible confternation ; many of the mihtary officers ran
about the ftreets bare-headed, in a ftate of diftra^ion, and
the churches and religious houfes were filled with people
who had taken fhelter in them, as if the enemy had been in
the city. The Spaniards, humbled by this blow, deprived
the Field-Marfhal of his commiffion, and appointed another^
and then raifed an army of feven hundred men; which
marched to the Cafuhati, not to renew the war, but to fue
for peace. A whole year had now elapfed fmce their laft
defeat, and the Indians, with their young Gacique Cangapol
at their head, had raifed another army, from all the different
nations, confifting of near four thoufand men; with which
they might have cut all the Spaniards in pieces: yet, not-
widiftanding thefe advantages, they liftened to the propofal of

the

KiCS'Zt^\£^iSiSSt» i*

lo<

)

'file new Field-Marfhal, whom they confidered as their
friend; who, fearful of the confequences which might at-
tend a frefli rupture, offered, among other conditions, to
deliver up all the Indian captives without any confideration
whatfoever, and that the Spanifh captives fhould be ranfomed.
The indignity of this condition was ftrongly reprefented by
the Jefuit Miilionary, who, with fome of his Chechehet and
Tehuel Converts, went with the Spanifh camp, and by whofe
means chiefly the Indians were prevailed upon to Ipare the
Spanifh army. He propofed that there fhould be a mutual
exchange of prifoners ; but fo great was the fear of another
war, that his advice was rejefted, though many of the Indians
did not defire more honourable conditions. Some Tehuel
Caciques, who had brought their captives along with them,
immediately delivered them up, on making peace, not un-
derftanding the propofal of the Field-Marfhal in any other
light, than that the delivery of prifoners was to be reciprocal.
The Moluches indeed went to Buenos- Ayres, and recovered
all the Indian prifoners, as v/ell as thofe of the Tehuelhets,
without returning the captives they had taken from the
Spaniards. Since this time, the Tehuelhets, allured by the
hopes of plunder, have once a year made incurfions into the
territory of Buenos-Ayres, and carried away great numbers
of catde. However this was the utmoit damage they ever
did, till the year 1767; when, having received fome provo-
cation, they renewed the war, and carried away many cap-
tives ; and of two parties of Spaniards who purfued them ten
only efcaped. A greater body of troops, with all the mihtia
of Buenos-Ayres, and fome companies of regulars, with
their Colonel Catani, afterwards overtook them, but thought
It prudent to let them go unmolefted, for fear qf Iharing the
fate of their companions^

The

■■

)

The Tehuelhets that border all along, from eaft to weft,
on thofe of the River of Sauces, are bounded on the north
eaft by the Chechehets, and on the eaft by a vaft defart,
which begins at about forty leagues from the mouth of the
Black River towards the fouth, and extends almoft to the
Straits of Magellan. To the weftward, they border on the
Huilliehes who inhabit thefeacoafts of Chiloe, and extend to
forty four degrees of fouthern latitude. All their country is
mountainous, with deep vallies, and has no confiderable
jivers. The natives are fupplied with Water from fprings and
fmall rivulets, which end in lakes, where they water their
cattle. In dry fummers thefe lakes are empty, and then
they arr€ obliged to go for water to the Black River or elfe-
where. This-nation rieither faw rior plam but live chiefly
on guanacoes, hares, and oftriches, which their country
affords, and on mares flefti, when they can get it.

Thefcarcity of this food occafions them to be in perpetual
^motion, from one country to another, to feek for it : fo that
they go, in ;gr€^t numbers, fometimes to the Cafuhad; at
other dmes, to the .mountains of Vuulcan or Tandil, and
the plains near Buenps-Ayresj which is three or .four
rhundred ; leagues from their owP country. Of all nations
j:ipon earth, there is no account of any fo reftlefs, and who
(have fuch;a4i%pfidonrto. roving as thefe people : ior neither
.extrenae old-age, Hindnefs, nor any other diftemper, pre-
,ventS[them from indulging, this inclinadon to wander. They
^reayeryftrongjWell-ma^e.people, and not fb tawny as the
other Indians ; fopie of their ^women are even as white as the
Spiiniards. They . are courteous, obliging,, and good-natured ;
.but ;Vjery incpnftant, -and not tp :be relied on in their pro-
:iniifes and engagements. They are-, ftput,; warlike, and fear-
iel&pf cdcitth. Tbey.are by muchjthe moll numerous of ail

F f the

w'*ft^SEfc®S**.«rlr:v

>-:V_".^'*-.^

(

)

the Indian nations of thefe parts, and are as many as all
the reft put together. They are the enemies of the
Moluches, and extremely feared by them; and if they
had been as well provided with horfes as the Molu-
ches, the latter, who are fo terrible to the Spaniards,
would have been long fmce deftroyed ; nor would the
Diuihets and Taluhets have been able to have withftood
their power.

To the fouth of thefe live the Chulilau-cunnees and
Sehuau-cunnees, which are the moft fouthern Indians
who ride on horfeback. Sehuau fignifies, in the Tehuel
dialeft, a fpecies of black rabbit, about the fize of a
field-rat; and as their country abounds in thefe animals,
their name may be derived from thence ; cunnee fignifying
people.

The two laft-mentioned nations appear to be the fame
people with the other Tehuelhets, and dijffer little in their
idiom. The fmall difference there is may be owing to the
communication they have with the Poy-yus and Key-yus,
who live upon the weftern coaft and the ftraits.

All the Tehuelhets fpeak a different language from the
other Puelches and the Moluches, and this difference does
BOt only include words, but alfo the declinations and conju-
gations of them ; though they ufe fome of the words of both
nations. For example, for a mountain they fay calille;
the Moluches, calel; but the Puelches, cafu. Pichua is
the Tehuel name for a guanaco, but has no likenefs to
luhuan, or huanque, in the Molu tongue: nor yagip, water,
to CO : nor yagiu, watering-place, to cohue ; nor cunnee,
people, to che or het. I am inclined to think that thefe
nations of Tehuelhets are thofe which the MifTionaries of
Chili have called Poy-yus, as they live in the fituation in

- whichi

(

111

)

which they place the Poy-yus: but the tru* is that the Poy-yas.
live nearer the leacoaft. ' ' '^ ' .

The laft of the TeHuel nations are the Yacana-cunnees,
which fignifies foot-people ; for they always travel on foot,,
having So ^horfes in tlieir country. To the north, they
border on the Sehuau-cunnees ; to the weft, on the Kej-yus
or Key-yuhues, from whom they are divided by a ridge ot
mountains : to the eaft, they are bounded by the ocean; ana
to the fouth, by the iflands of Tierra del Fuego or the
South Sea. Thefe Indians live near the fea, on both hdes ot
the ftraits, and oftentimes make war with one another. 1 hey
make ufe of light floats, like thofe ^^ ^^ilo^ ^"^^'tf\,^^^^^
pafs the ftraits. They are fometimes attacked by the Huiili-
ches, and the other Tehuelhets, who carry thern away tor
flaves, as they have nothing to lofe but their liberty and
their lives. They live chiefly on fifli; which they catch,
either by diving, or ftriking them with their darts. ^ They
are very nimble of foot, and catch guanacoes . and oltnches
with their bowls. Their ftature is much the fame as that
of the other Tehuelhets, rarely exceeding feven feet,
and oftentimes not fix feet.. They are an innocent, harmlefs

^^When the French or Spaniards go. (as they frequently do)
to the Tierra del Fuego, to get fuel for the Malouin fettle-
ments, thefe people give them all the affiftance in their
power. To invite them down, they always make me ot a
white flag, that they may be known; for fuch impreflions
have they received of the Enghih, that on feeing a red
ilao- they always run away. The French and Spaniards at-
tribute this to fome Englilh veffels: having fired fome great
guns- the report of which, they fuppofe, frightened the
Indians to fuch. a degree, that they never dared to appear

IMMi

( 112 )

fince, on feeing the fed colours. This may have beea the
cafe ; but it is certain many artifices have been made ufe of,
to prevent their having any communication with the Enghfh.
A Cacique of this nation, who came with the other Tehuel-
hets to pay me a vifit, told me that he had been in a houfe
of wood, that travelled on the water. As this was told me a
few years after Admiral Anfon paffed to the South Sea, I
concluded it might be one of the fhips belonging to bis
fquadron.

All thefe nations of the Tehuelhets are called, by the
Moluches, Vucha-Huilliches, or Great Southern People:
the Spaniards call them Mountaineers, though they are ig-
iior^nt from whence they come. To the reft of Europe
they are known by the name of ■Patagoniam. ,

As I mentioned in the introdudion, I have feen Caciques
of all the dilferent nations of Indians inhabiting the fouthern
part of America, and obferved that the Puelchcs, or Eaftern
Indians, were a large race of people, and feveral of them
near feven feet fix ^inches high: but thefe are not a diftin^
race; for I have feen others, of the fame family, who were
not above fix feet high. The Moluches, or Weftern Indians,
who live among the mountains, are rather of low ftature,
but broad and thick-fet. The I nhiabitants of the foggy moun-
tains of the Cordillera are often guilty of fuicide; a crime
feldom heard of among the Eaftera Indians.

The names of their Caciques which I; knew, were Caca-
pol, Cangapol, Yampalco, Tolmichiya, Guelmen, Saufi-
miyan, Yepelche, Marique, ' Chuyuentuya, Guerquen,
Ciuigell, Millarfuel, aUd Tamu.

' 'The report that' there is ' a nation : in thefe .parts defeended
froni Europeans, or the reiriainsofrfhrpwrecks, is, I verily be-
lieve, entirely falfe and groundlefs, : and occafioned by miC-

underftanding

( 113 )

underftanding the accounts of the Indians. For if they are
aflied in Chili concerning any inland fettlement of Spaniards,
they give an account of towns and white people, meaning
Buenos-x\yres, &c. and foviceverfa; not having the leaft
idea, that the inhabitants of the fe two diftant countries are
known to each other. jUpon my queflioning the Indians on
this fubjeft, I found my conjefture to be right; and they
acknowl-edged, upon my naming Chiloe, Valdivia, &c. (at
which they feemed amazed) that thofe were the places they
had . mentioned under . the defcription of European fettle-
ments. '

What further makes this fettlement of the Csefares to be
altogether incredible, is the moral impoffibility that even
two or three hundred Europeans, almoil all men, with 0;Ut
having any communication with a civilized country, could
penetrate through fo many warlike and numerous nations,
and .maintain themfelves as a feparate republic, in a country
which produces nothing fpontaneoully, and where the in-
habitants live only by hunting; and all this for the fpace of
two hundred years (as the Ilory is told) without being extir-
pated, either by being killed, or made flaves by the Indians, or
without lofing all European appearances by intermarrying
with them. And befides, there is not a foot of all this con-
tinent, that the wandering nations do not ramble over every
year; for even the uninhabited defart, which is wafhed by
the Atlantic Ocean, is travelled over every year, to bury
the dry bones of the dead, and to look for fait. Their
Caciques, and others of the greateft repute for truth arnong
them, have often protefted to me, that there are no white
people in all thofe parts, except thofe which are known to all.
Europe ; as in Chili, Buenos-Ayres, Chiloe, Mendoza, &c.

C H A P T :E R

^^1^^

^^^^B .^m. ^^

(i €¥}^ S

e¥¥sS

CHAPTER V.

The Religion, Government, Policy, mid Cvjloms, oj the Moluches

and Puekhes.

|.5?/^5^| H E S E Indians believe in two fuperior beings,
T % the one good, the other evil. The good power is
^ called by the Moluches Toquichen, which figni-
fies governor of the people ; by the Taluhets and
Diuihets, Soychu, which, in their tongue, fignifies the being
who prefides in the land of ftrong drink: the Tehuelhets
call him Guayava-cunnee, or the lord of the dead.

They have formed a multiplicity of thefe deities ; each of
whom they believe to prefide over one particular caft or fa-
mily of Indians, of which he is fappofed to have been the
creator. Some make themfelves of the caft of the tiger,
fome of the lion, fome of the guanaco, and others' of the
oftrich, &c. They imagine that thefe deities have each their
feparate habitations, in vaft caverns under the earth, beneath
fome lake, hill, <&c. and that when an Indian dies, his
foul goes to live with the deity who prefides over his parti-
cular family, there jto enjoy the happinefs of being eternallv
drunk. ' . '

They believe that their good deities made the world, and.
that they firft created the Indians iii their caves, gave them.
the lance, the bow and arrows, and the ftone-bowls, to fight
and hunt with; and then turned them out to fhift for them-
felves^.

( 1^5 )

felves. They imagine that the deities of the Spaniards did '
the fame by them," but that inftead of lances, bows, &c. they
gave them guns and fwords. They fuppofe that vvhen the
beafts, birds, and lefTer animals were created, thofe of tac^
more nimble kind came immediately out of their caves, but
that the bulls and cows being the laft, the Indians were fa
frightened at the fight of their horns, that they ftopped up
the entrance of their caves with great Hones. This is the
reafon they give, why they had no black cattle m their
country, till the Spaniards brought them over, who more
wifely had let them out of the caves.

They have formed a behef that fome of them after death
are to return to thefe divine caverns ; and they fay alfo that
the ftars are old Indians, that the milky way is the field where:
the old Indians hunt oftriches, and that the two fouthern clouds
are the feathers of the oftriches which they kill. They have,
an opinion alfo that the creation is not yet exhaufted, nor all
of it come out to the daylight of this upper world.

Their wizards, beating their drums, and rattling their cala-
bafhes full of fea-lhells, pretend to fee, under ground, men,
cattle, &c. with Ihops of rum, brandy, cafcabels, and a va-
riety of other things. But I am very well affured that they
do not all of them beHeve this nonfenfe : for the Tehuel
Cacique, Chehuentuya, came to me one morning, with an.
account of a new difcovery, made by one of their wizards, -
of one of thefe fubterraneous countries, which was under-
the place where we lived; and upon my laughing at, and-
expofmg their fimplicity, in being impofed upon by fuch-
fables and foolifh ftories, he anfwered with fcorn, Epu^
eungeing'n. They are old women's tales.

The Evil Principle is called by the Moluches Huecuvoe,-
01 Huecuvu, that is, the Wanderer without . The Tehu-

' ■ eihets.

■esBi

( 1 1 6 )

elhets and Cheelieliets call him At&anoakanatz ; the othef
Fueiches call him Vallchu.

They acknowledge a great number of this kind of demons,
v/andering about the world, and attribute to them all the
evil that is done in it, whether to man or beaft ; and they
carry this opinion fo far, as to beheve that thefe unpropi-
tious powers occahon the wearinefs and fatigue which attends
long journeys or hard labour. Each of their wizards is fup-
pofed to have two of thefe demons in conilant attendance,
who enable them to forctel future events ; to difcover what
is paffing, at the time prefent, at a great diftance ; and to cure
the fick, by fighting, driving away, or appeafmg, the other
demons who torment them. They believe that the fouls of
their wizards, after death, are of the number of thefe demons.;

Their worfhip is entirely dire^ed to the evil being, ex-
cept in Ibme particular ceremonies made ufe of in reverence
to the dead. To perform their worfhip, they alfemble to-
gether in the tent of the wizard ; who is (hut up from the
fight of the reft, in a corner of the tent. In this apartment,
he has a fmall drum, one or two round calabafhes with fmail
fea-ihells in them, and fome fquare bags of painted hide, in
which he keeps his fpells. He begins the ceremony, by
making a ftrange noife with his drum and rattle-box ; after
which he feigns a fit, or ftruggle with the devil, who k is
then fuppofed has entered into him ; keeps his eyes lifted
up, diftorts the features of his face, foams at the mouth,
fcrews up his joints, and, after many violent and diftorting
motions, remains ftifF and motionlefs, refembhng a man
feized with an epilepfy. After fome time he comes to him-
felf, as having got the better of the dem.on ; next feigns,
within his tabernacle, a faint, Ihrill, mournful voice, as of
the evil fpirit, who, by this difmal cry, is fuppofed to

acknowledge

( 117 )

acknowledge himfelf fubdued; and then, from a kind of
tripod, anfvvers all queftions that are put to him. Whether
his anfwers be true or falfe is of no great hgnification ; be-
caufe if his intelligence fhould prove falfe, it is the fault of
the devil. On alfthefe occafions the wizard is well paid.

The profeffion of the wizards is very dangerous, notwith-
{landing the refpe6l which is fometimes paid to them : for it
often happens, when an Indian Chief dies, that fome of the
wizards are killed ; efpecially if they had any difpute with
the deceafedjulf before his death; the Indians, m this cafe,
laying the lofs of their Chief upon the wizards and their
demons. In cafes alfo of peftilence and epidemic diforders,
when great numbers are carried off, the wizards often fuffer.
On account of the fmallpox, which happened after the death
of Mayu Pilqui-ya and his people, and almofl entirely de-
flroyed the Chechehets, Cangapol ordered all the wizards to
be killed, to fee if by thefe means the diftemper would

The wizards are of both fexes. The male wizards are
obliged (as it were) to leave their fex, and to drefs themfelves
in female apparel, and are not permitted to marry, though
the female ones or witches may. They are generally cholen
for this office when they are children, and a preference is
always fhewn to thofe, who at that early time of hfe difcover
an effeminate difpohtion. They are cloathed very early m
female attire, and prefented with the drum and rattles belong-
ing to the profeffion they are to follow.

They who are feized with fits of the falling ficknefs, or
the chorea Sandi Viti, are immediately felefted for this em-
ployment, as chofen by the demons themfelves; whom they
fuppofe to poifefs them, and to caufe all thofe convulfions
and diftortions common in epileptic paroxyfms.

H h The

',.^ i^.tf- iA-^-

i>^i<t»*:»»

( 118 )

The burial of their dead, and the fuperftitious reverence
paid to their memory, are attended with great ceremony.
When an Indian dies, one of the moft diftinguifhed women
among them is immediately chofen, to make a fl?.eleton of
his body ; which is done, by cutting out the entrails, which
they burn to afhes, differing the fleili from the bones as,
clean as poiTible, and then burying them under ground, till
the remaining flefh is entirely rotted off, or till they are re-
moved (which mull be within a year after the interment, but
is fometimes within two months) to. the proper burial-place of
their anceftors.

This cuftom is ftri6lly obferved by the Moluches, Taluhets,.
^nd Diuihets ; but the Chechehets and Tehuelhets, or Pata-^
gonians, place the bones on high, upon canes or twigs woven,
together, to dry and whiten with the fun and rain.

During the time that the ceremony of making the fkele^-
ton lafts, the Indians, covered with long mantles of fkins,.
and their faces blackened with foot, walk round the tent,
with long poles or lances in their hands; fmging in a mourn-
ful; tone of voice, and ftriking the ground, to frighten away
the Valichus or Evil Beings. Some go to vifit and cqnfole
the widow, or widows, and other relations of the dead ; that
is, if there is any thing to be got ; for nothing is done, but
with a view of intereft. During this vifit of condolance,.
they cry, howl, and fmg, in the mofl; difmal manner; drain-
ing out tears, and pricking their arms and thighs with fharp
ihorns, to make them bleed. For this fhow of grief they
are paid with glafs beads, brafs cafcabek, and fuch like
bawbles, which are in high eftimation among them. The
horfes of the dead are alfo immediately killed, that he
i^ay have wherewithal to ride upon in the Alhue MapUj
or Country of the Dead; referving only a few, to grace

/ th§

( 119 )

the iaft funeral pomp, and to carry the rellcks to their pro^
per fepulchres.

The widow, or widows, of the dead, are obliged to mourn
and faft for a whole year after the death of their huiband.
This confifts, in keeping themfelves clofe fhut up in their
tents, without having communication with any one, or ftirring
out, but for the common neceffaries of hfe ; in not wafhing
their faces or hands, but being blackened with foot, and
having their garments of a maurnful appearance ; in ab-
ilaining from horfe'sand cow's fleih, and, within-land, where
they are plenty, from the fleQi of oftriches and guanacoes ; but
they may eat any thing elfe. During the year ^ of mourning
they are forbidden to many, and if, within this time, a wi-
dow is difcovered to have had any communication with a
man, the relations of her dead hufband will kill them both ;
unlefs it appears that fhe has been violated. But I did not
difcover that the men were obliged to any fuch kind o£
mourning on the death of their wives.

When they remove the bones of their dead, they pack
them up together in a hide, and place them upon one of
the deceafed's favourite horfes, kept alive for that purpofe ;
which they adorn after their bell falhion, with mandes^,
feathers, Sec, and travel in this manner, though it be to the
diftance of three hundred leagues, till they arrive at the
proper burial-place, where they perform the Iaft ceremony.

The Moluches, Taluhets, and Diuihets, bury their dead
in large fquare pits, about a fathom deep. The bones are
put together, and fecured by tying each in their proper place,
then cloathed with the beft robes they can get, adorned with
beads, plumes, &c. all of which they cleanfe or change once a
year. They are placed in a row, fitting, with the fword, lance,
bow and arrows, bowls, and whatever elfe the deceafed had

while

"wm

(

120

while alive. Thefe pits are covered over with beams or
trees, canes, or twigs woven together, upon which they put
earth. An old matron is chofen out of each tribe, to take
care of thefe graves, and on account of her employment is
held in great veneration. Her office is, to open every year
thefe dreary habitations, and to cloath and clean the fkele-
tons. Befides all this, they every year pour upon thefe
graves fome bowls of their firft-made chica, and drink fome
of It themfelves to the good health of the dead. Thefe bu-
rying places are, in general, not far diftant from their ordi-
nary habitations ; and they place all around the bodies of
their dead horfes, raifed upon their feet, and fupported
with Iticks.

The Tehuelhets, or more fouthern Patagonians, differ In
fome refpeas from the other Indians. After having dried
the bones of their dead, they carry them to a great diftance
from their habitations, into the defert by the feacoaft, and
after placing them in their proper form, and adorning 'them
in the manner before defcribed, they fet them in order above
ground, under a hut or tent, erefted for that purpofe, with
the fkeletons of their dead horfes placed around them.

^ In the expedition of the year 1746, fome Spanifh foldiers
with One of the miffionaries, travelling about thirty leagues
withm-land, to the weft of Port San Julian, found one of thefe
Indian fepulchres, containing three fkeletons, and having as
many dead horfes propped up round it

It is not an eafy matter to trace any regular form of ao-
vernment, or civil conflitution, among thefe Indians ; what
little they have, feems to confift in a^ fmall degree of fub
■jeaion to their Caciques. The office of a Cacique is here
ditary, not eleaive ; and all the fons of a Cacique have a
Jiglit to -affiirae the dignity, if they can get any Indians to

MHi

121

)

Mfow tliebV' but/ oh aet-Qun little mh ^'M^ltQ/At^

pofleflbrs, it is oftentimes refigned.'? - [ :. -^ " '^ ;'

The Cacique has the power of proteELng as many aS; ap-
ply^ to himj 'of dompofing'or filencmg aiiy - difeencej or/de-
livering oVer the offending; party to: beipukifhed withdeathi
'without being' accountable foiF ii; for in thefe nefpeas his
^;vill '■ is the law. He is generally too apt to take bri bes ; deli-
^eriiha= up' his' vaflals, and even his .irelati^jiis^ ;when weU
piid'for it /According to his: ; oHers, ; the Indians (encamp,
march, br ira vd from one place : to another, ; to : fettle, hunt,
or make war. He frequendy fummons them to his ^ tent,
and harangufes them upon their behaviour, the exigencies of
thfetime, the injuries they Mve: received, the meafure? tp: be,
taken, gcc. In thefe harangdes,: he always extols hi,s pwit
prowefs and perfonal merit. When he is el-oquent, he is
greatly cfteemed ; and when a Cacique is not endowed with
that accomplUhment, he generally has an ora^pr,: who ,fup-
plies his place. ^ In cafes of importance, efpecially thofe of
war, he calls a council of the principal Indians :and wizards ;
with whom he confuits about the measures to be taken^ tQ
defend himfelC ^^ attack his enemies^ • u * : ^ .

In a general war, when many nations enter into an alliance
againft a common enemy, th'ey choofe an Apo, or Com*
mander in Chief, from among the oldeft or moft celebrated
of the Caciques. But this honour, though de^live, has for
many years been in u manner hereditary, among thofe of the
fouth, in the family of Cangapol ; who leads the Tehuel-
bets, Chechehets, Huiliiches, P^huenches, an-d Diuihets,
when they join their forces together. They generally encamp
at about thirty or forty leagues diftance from the enemies
country, that they may notbe difcovered, and fend out fcouts,
to examine the places tliey intend to attack; who hide them-

■ , - I i felves

V _-««,»>> urijiiA.

( 122 )

felves during tlie day, but at night ifjfee forth from ^eir
lurking places, and mark, with the greateft exa£lnefs, every
houfe and farm of the ftraggling villages they intend to at-
tack, fo as to give an account of iheir dilppfition, th^ msm-
her of their inhabitants, and their means of defence, li^heji
they have thus informed themfelves, they communicate tji€
intelligence to the main army, who take the time when the
moon is paft the full, that they may haye light for their
work, to march to the afladit.^ rWheh they, approa^ch the
place, they feparate in finall bodies, each of wjhicji is ap-
pointed to attack fome houfe or farm. A few hours after
midnight they make the aflault> kill all the men who refift,
and carry aWay the -women and children fpr flayes. Th^
Indian women follow their hu&andsi armed with clubs,
bowls, and fometimes fwords ; and ravage and plunder the
houfes of every thing they can find, that may be of feryice
to them, as eloaths,^ hoiiihold utenfils, fe» T^vi^r loiad^<|
with booty, they retire as faft as they can ; refting ndtji^r d^y
nor night, till they are at a great diftarice, and out of danger
of being overtaken by their enemies; which is fotirietimes is^
hundred leagues from the place of the attacl^. ; H^re thejr
fto|), and divide their booty; which is feMom'acGpmpHfhed
without great difcontents from fame or other of .them, and
ihefe often terminate in quarrels and bloodfhed.

At other times,., th^y .make a kind of flying war, with
fmall camps, X)f fifty or aihundred men in each. In this cafe
they do not attack whole villages, but o-nly fmgle farms or
houfes, which they do very hafl:ily, and retire as foon as
they can,-/ '^^ --^^ '■•^^-i.' /lor.; _;;.-,.;.'-: ,^;^.,;,' ■;-;.■

The Caciquesi' ' btve^fhblefs havfe not': the power to raife
taxesv, nbr to ta^kdawayj any ^thing frjoxn theif vaffals; nor can
they oblige them to -fe^ve in the leaft employment, without

paying

?iai

{ 123 }

ipaying :th;em. On the contrary, they are ohliged to treat
their vaflals with great humanity and mildnefs, and oftentimes,
^o relie!^e their wants, or they will feek the proteftion of
fome other Cacique, For this reafon, many of the Elmens^,
or thofe who are born Caciques, refufe to hav« any vaiTals;-
•as they coil them dear, and yield but little profit. No In-
dian, or body of Indians, can live without the prote^ion o£
fome Cacique, accx>rding to their law of nations; and if any
of them attempted to do it, they would undoubtedly be
Jkiiled, or earried away as flaves, as foon as they were dif-

covered. . r

/In cafe of any injury, notwithftanding the authority of
dbe Cacique, the party aggrieved often endeavours to do.
himfelf juftice to the beft of his power. They know of no
punifhment, or fatisfaaion, but that of paying, or redeeming
the injury, or damage done, with fomething of value irt
their ,efti|nation (for they ufe no money) nor do they chaftize,
hut by death. Yet when the offence is not very great, and
the offender is popr, the party injured generally beats him.
with his ftone bawls, on the back and ribs. When the of-
fender is too powerful, they let him alone; unlefs the
Cacique interferes, and obliges him to make fatisfa6lion.

Their wars, in which the different nations engage one with;
another,, and alfo with the Spaniards, arife fometimes from
injuries received, which they are eager to revenge ; but often
from want of provifions, or a defire of plunder.

Although the different nations are at continual variance
among themfelves, yet they often join together againft the
Spaniards, andchoofe an Apo, or Captain-general, to com-
mand the whole : at other times, each nation makes war for
itfelf. Ini the wars with the Spaniards of Buenos- Ayres, the
Moluchesare as auxiliaries, and the Chiefs are chofen from

among

■i

TTFum'

IHi

■ff

■among the Puelches, becaufe they are better acquainted with

.that country. For the like reafon, in the wars with the

Spaniards of Chili, the Cliiefs are eleaed from amon^ the

Caciques of the Moluchesn ; ^ ; orlto tmo^

I . ^^.f"^ marriages are made by fale; the htifband buyinf

ins wife of her neareft relations, and oftentimes at a dear

price, of beads, cafcabels, garments, horfes, or any thin^

elfe that is of value among them. They often agree for

their wives, and pay part of the price for them, wh^n thev

are very y^ung and many years before they arc mairia^e-

able. Each Indian may have as many wives as he can buy

or keep. Widows and orphans are at their own difpofal

and may accept of whom they pleafe: the reft are obliged to

abide by the i^le, even againft their inclinations, or they are

•dragged away and compelled to fubmit. It feldom happens

ihat any Indian has more than one wife ; though. fome have

had two or three at a time; efpecially the Elmens, Yas, or

Caciques. The reafon of this is, that they are not bver-

itock^d with women ; and thofe which they have are fo dear

that many have no wife at all. V

They ufe litde or rto ceremony in their marriages. At
the time agreed upon, the parents lead the lady to the fpoufe's
habitation and deliver her up to him; or he goes and takes
her away from her parents, as his own property; and fome-
times (he even goes of herfelf, being certain of a good re-
ception. Ihe following morning fhe is vifited by her rela-
tions before the time of rifing; and being found in bedwidi
her Ipouie, the marriage is concluded. But as many of thefe
marriages are compulfive on the fide of the woman, they arc
frequently fruftrated. The contumacy of the woman fome-
times tires out the patience of the man, who then ttirns her
away, or felb her to the perfon on whom fhe has fixed her

affe6lions;

( 125 i

affeftiohs : but feldom beats her, or treats her ill. At other
tiSr^ife elopes from her hufband and goes o a -
bnt • who if he is more powerful, or of a higher ranK tnaii
AehuCd obliges him to put up with the affront, and to
Icau^^fce n the lofs of his wife ; unlefs a more powerful
friend obliges the gallant to a reftitution, or to compound the
Ser and in thefe affairs they are generally very eafy. ^
The' women, who have once accepted their hulbands ate
in generdTery' faithful and laborious, ^-ff^^^^^^l
^re but one continued fcene of labour; for, behdes tl e
r „ J nnT brinaing up their children, they are obliged to

,hing, -"I^^Sr" Thfcrrl^f^aS SoTd affairl
•sTft'S to^ie^^men: they fetch wood and w^er

,h«; make their mandes or carapas, and fpin and make pon
they make tneir "' r j ^on^gn pack up

'^^Xs evenr ent*:L; which they muft erea and
;; rd^?themfelves, as ^ften as occafion -q-s : the^
Foad unload, and fetUe the baggage, ftrai en the g|«hs ot

Z r LllV "^nd carry the lance before their hufbands. No
the fiddles and carry tne ^.^^ ^^^.^^^

- sS^r^i tSc:^^^^

ran"on, ort the greateft diftrefs, widiout incurring
^hehi^eft ignominy The womei^of quality, orthofe^re^

SdrSftSKf thrmoT"b°-- part of their work;
but i?Aey fcould not have any flaves/they muft undergo

the fame fatigue as die reft. jj

K* is.

wsmmm

126 )

it is the province of the hufband to provide food ; whichj
is generally the flefli of horfes, oftriches, guanacoes, hares^
wild-boars, armadilloes, antas, Sec. or whatevei! the country
produces. He alfo fupplies his wife with {kins for the tent,,
and for cloathing; though they often purchafe for them
cloaths or mantles of European goods, of the Spaniards.;
and alfo brafs-earings, cafcabels, and large glafs beads of a
fky-blue colour, for which they have a great preference. I
have feen them exchange a poncha, or mande, of their little
foxes Ikins, which are as fine and as beautiful as ermine^
worth from five to feven dollars, each, for four firings of
thefe beads, which are worth about fourpence. The Molu-
ches maintain fome flocks of Iheep for their wool, and fow
a fmall quantity of corn : but the Puelches depend entirely
on their hunting; for which purpofe they keep great num-
bers of dogs, which they call tehua,.

Although their marriages are at will, yet when once the.
parties are agreed, and have children, they feldom forfake
each other, even in extreme old-age. The hulband proteda
his wife from all injuries, and always takes her part, even if
ihe is in the worong; which occafions frequent quarrels and
bloodfhed : but this partiality does not prevent him from re-
primanding her in private, for engaging him in thefe difputes.
He feldom beats her; and if he catches her in any criminal
commerce, lays, all the blame on the gallant; whom he cor-.
re6fs with great feverity, unlefs he atones for the injury by,
fome valuable prefent. They have fo litde decency in thi^
refpeft, that oftendmes, at the command of the wizards, they,
fuperftidoufly fend their wives to the woods, to proftitutej
fhemfelves to the firft perfon they meet. Yet there are fome.
wpmen whofe modefty gets the.better of their obedience, and?.

Ii«i

( 1-27 )

who refufe to fulfil the de&es both of their hulbands and the

wizards. '

They breed up their children in a vicious indulgence of
their humours. The Tehuelhets, or Southern PatagonianSj
carry this folly to the greateft excefs ; and the old people are
led about from one place to another, frequently changing
their habitations, to humour the caprices of their children.
The following account may give an idea, to what a degree
of folly they carry this fondnefs. If an Indian, even a Caci^
que, relblve to change his habitation, with his family, &c.
and is at that time an inhabitant among a different tribe of
people, who do not choofe to part with him, it is the cuftom
to take one of his children, and to pretend fuch a fondnefs
fe itj' that they carinot part with it ; and by thefe means the
father is fatisfied, and agrees to ftay : they then deliver him
his child, and, inflead of refenting- their conduct, he is
greatly pleafed that his child is fo much beloved.
jil The widow of a- Tekuel" Cacique^ whofe hufband had
been treach-eroufly killed by- the Spaniards -in time of peace,
was determined to leave the town and the mifTionaries, and
no entreaties or perfuafions were able to quiet her on fo fad
an occafion. She had a fon about fix years of age, who was
tjery.fond, of the milTionaries, on account of the prefents of
bread, figs, raifins, &c. which they ufed to give him-; and
when he underflood that his mother was preparing to carry
him away, he would not fuffer himfelf to be dreffed for the
journey, and defired to be carried to the fathers. The mo'
therj moved with the diftrefs of her child, con fented to
remain where fhe was^ and foon afterv/ards became a
Ghriftian.

The drefs of thefe Indians is very remarkable. The meii
wear no.capaupoa their, heads^ but have their. hair tied up

bshind:

( 128 )

beliin(3, with the points upwards ; binding it many times above
the head with a large girdle of dyed woollen ftuff, curioufly
wrought. In their tents they wear a mantle, made of fkins
iewed together. Thofe made with the fkins of young colts
and mares are the leaft valuable. The mantles made of the
ikins of a fmall, linking animal, like our pole-cat, which
they call yaguane, are fuperior to thefe laft. This animal
is of a dark, fable colour, with two large white ftreaks on
each fide of its ribs ; it's hair very foft and fine.

The fur of the coipu, or otter, is in equal efteem with
that of the yaguane, or maikel. The head, mouth and
teeth of this animal very much refemble thofe of a rabbit:
it's fur is long and fine, and as good as that of a beaver. It
digs it's caves (which confift of one or two ftories) in the
banks of rivers, and lives upon filh. It has a long, round,
tapering tail, like that of a rat; audit's flelh is very good to
eat.

The mantles made of the Ikins of guanacoes are in ftill
greater eftimation than thofe before-mentioned, on account
of the warmth and finenefs of their wool, and their long
duration. But thofe which are in the higheft efieem of all
are made with the fkins of fmall foxes, which are exceedingly
foft and beautiful. They are of a motded grey, with a red
caft, but not fo durable as thofe of the guanaco.

They alfo make or weave (the Tehuelhets and Chechehets
excepted) fine mantles of woollen yarn, beautifully dyed
with many colours ; which when wrapped round their bodies,
reach from their fhouldcrs to the calf of the leg. They
have another, of the fame kind, round the waift, and,
befides thefe, a fmall three-cornered leathern apron, that
ferves for breeches. They tie two corners of it round their
waifts, and pafs the pther between their legs, and fallen it

behind.

mmm

( i29 )

1>eli!n5. Tliey lilcewlfe make mantles of red ftufFs, fucli as
everlafting, &c. which they buy of the Spaniards ; as alfo
hats, which they are fond of wearing, efpecially on horfe-
back. They adorn themfelves with iky-coloured beads;
tyin^'one or two rows of them round their necks and wrifts.
They alfo paint their faces, fometlmes with red, at other
times with black; making themfelves exceedingly ugly and
hideous, though they imagine there is great beauty m it.

When tkey are on horfeback, inftead of the mande be-
fore-mendoned, they ufe one adorned with a greater variet^y
of figures ; which has a Hit in the middle, through wnich
they put their heads ; and the mantle hangs down to their
knees, and fometimes to their feet. Both men and women
Tife a kind of boots or ftockings, made of the flun of the
tliighs and legs of mares and colts ; which they firlt flay from
the fat and im:/ard membranes, and, after drying, folten
with greafe; then make thQm pHa^t by wn^gmg, .and put
them on without either fhaping or fewing.

Their defenfive arms confift of a helmet, made^ like a
braad-bximmed hat, of a bull's ^hide fewed double, and of a
coat of mail; which is a wide tunic, fliaped and put on like
a Ihirt withmrrow.fhortfleeves, made of three or four folds
of the'anta's Ikin. It is very heavy, ftrong enough to xcfit
either arroicvs or glances 5 and fome fay it is bullet-prooh
It is made v.eiy high in the ^eck.part;, and almoft covers
the eyes and iiofe. On foot they ufc hkewrfe a large, un-
wieldy, fquare itarget, .of bulls hides. Their oftenfive arms
aacea fhort bow, and arrows pointed with bone. The Te-
huelhetsand Huilliches foroetim^ envenom the points, with
a. fpecies.of poifon, which detroys fo flowly, that the wound-
ed ipeEbn lingers iforltwo <)r thi^ee: months ; tdl, reduced to a
fkdetoja, he at laE e^^ires. They likewife ufc a lance, of
vv Li ^ouf

( ^30 )

four or five yards in length, made of a folid cane, that grows
near the Cordillera, with many joints, about four or five
inches from one another, and pointed with iron. They
have fwords, when they can get them from the Spaniards ;
but they are in general ver)' fcarce. Another fort of weapons,
peculiar to this nation,' are bowls, or large, round ftones,
fliaped into that form by being beat againfl: each other, and
about four inches in' diameter. They are in general pebbles^
though I have'feen fome^ which were brought from within
land, that v/ere made of a kind 6f ore, refembling a fine, light
copper. There are others made of a kind of iron-ftone.

Thefe bowls are of two or three forts. That which is moll
ufed in war is a fmgle, round bowl, of about a pound, weight;^
to which they faften a fmall rope, made of hide or fmews^
With this they foike the adverfary's head, to dafh out his
brains; and fometimes throw it, rope and all.

There is another kind, which is indifferently ufed either
in war or hunting. This confifts of two bowls, like the former,
covered with flduj and faftened at each end of a long rope of
hide, thre^ or four yards in length. They take one of them-
in their hand, and whirling the other three or four times
round their head, throw it, and entangle either man or beaft.
They will throw them with fuch dexterity, as to feften a-
man to his horfe; and will alfo contrive to throw them in
fuch a manner, when they are hunting, that the rope fhall
twifl; round, the neck of the beaff, and the bowls hang be-
tween his legs, fo that he is foon thrown down and taken.

Sometimes, efpecially in hunting, they ufe two lefTer
Ixjwlsy which they fallen, with two ropes of about a yard
each, folhe'rd;^e to\vhiGh the krgaf on^ that they

m ay entangle ' their * jpl^^y ' ^ thB ^ better/' In hunting oftriches,
deer, or gu^nacoes, they i^fe^lowls of a fmaller fize than 2Luy

I have

. ■ ^ - ( 131

I have yet mentioned. Thefe are made of marble, Vv/ell pG--
lifhed, and faftened to a cord made of Enews.

The women have no attire for their heads, but have their
long hair plaited in two large trefles, which hang down on
either fide. They wear ear-rings, or pendants, of fqiiare
brafs plates, about two or three inches broad, and as many
deep, with a piece of the fame metal well hammered to pre^
vent ' their ears, which are very widely bored, from being-
cut. They wear ilrings of iky-blue beads round their necks,
arms, and ankles.

They have the fame kind of mantle as the m.en; but they,
put one end of it round their necks, faftening it before with
a brafs Ikewer orpin, and gather it up round the waift;.
letring it fall down to their ankles. They have alfo a ftiort
apron, tied about their middle under the mande, which
covers them only before, and reaches a litde below the knee.
This is woven of dyed yarn, and ftriped from the top to the
bottom with different colours. When they ride, they ufe a
ft raw hat, of the figure of a broad, low cone ; fuch as the
Chinefe are reprefented to wear : and their boots <ire the fame
as thofe which are worn by the men.

CH APTE, R

4 i2

4»^<^© *^^

CHAPTER VI,

4w Account of the Language of the Inhabitants of thefe Countries,

mm^B H E languages of thefe Indians differ from each
i T I ©ther. I only learned that of the Molut^hes; it
Um^mi ^^^"S ^^'^^ ^^^ poliihed, and the mof! generally
underftood. A confiderable abfence from thefe
countries has rendered the recolle6lion very difficult ; how-
ever, I^ &all give the befl: account of it I am able^ to* fatisfy
the curious and inquifitive.

This language is much more copious and elegant, thaa
could have been expefted from an unciviii^d people.

The nouns have only one declination, and are all of the
common gender. The dative, accufative, and ablative cafes,
have all the fame termination, with their fuffix or poftpofition.
There are but two numbers, fingular and plural ; the dual
being exprelTed by- placing the word epu (which fignifies
two) before the word : but the pronouns have all the three
numbers. The adjedives are put before the fubftantives, and
do not vary their terminations, either in cafe or number : as

Cume
Cume huentu
Cume huentu eng'n

good,

a good man,

good men.

The

133

Singular.

The Declination of the Nouns.

Plural
N. Puhuentuor)

N. Huentu, the man,
G. Huentuni, of the man, Sec,
D. HuentumOj
A. Huentumo,
V. Huentu, ^

A. Huentumo,
or Huentu engu,

, r the 7n€%
huentu engn)

G. Pu huentu, qJ the men. -

and fo on, as in the fingulai;,

Inchcj ^j

Eimi, ^ thou,

Vei, he,

T Va or TVa<chi, i^A^i,
-Velli, - -: t^hat,
inei, whom.

The Pronouns.
Ouifu,

Inche quirfu;

Inchiu,

Inchin,

he alone c^"

himjelf,
I myjdf
■we tzvo,
zve many^

And in the fame manner;
Eimn

ym many.

Eimi, thou,

Eimu, you twoy

For pronouns pofTeffive is ufed the genitive, or fign of the
.enitive, of the pronouns ; ni, mine; mi thme. Like^
wife m'ten, only ; ufed fometimes as an adjeftive or pro^
noun, and at other times as an adverb.

The verbs have only one conjugation, and are never irre^
^ular or defeaive. They are formed from any part of fpeech
either by siving it the termination of a verb, or addmg to it
the verb fubftantive gen, or, as it is pronounced, ngen,
which anfwers to the Latin verb fum, es, lui, <^c.

M m

EXAMPLES,

( 134 )

EXAMPLES.

1., P'lle, near,

Fllen or Pllengen, / am near^
P'lley or P'llengey, he is near.

%. Cume,
Cumen,
Cumengen,
Cumelen,

3. Ata,
Atan,
Atangen,
Atal'n or Ataltan,

Evil or had^
' to he had,
to corrupt or make had.

The verbs have three rmmbers, ftngular, dual, and plural 1^
and as many tenfes as in the Greek tongue ; all of which
they form by interpofmg certain particles before the laft l^t*
ter of the indicative, and before the laft fyllable of the fub-
junftive: as,

Prefent tenfe,.
Imperfe6l:,
Perfect,
Preterperfe^l;^
rirft Aorift,
Second Aoriftj
Firft Future,
Second Future,

In the fubjun8:ive mood
li, llriking off the letter n
all the tenfes as before : as^^

Elun, to give ^

Elubun,

Eluyeen,

Eluyeebun,

Eluabun^

Eluyeabun,

Eluan,

Eluyean.

they terminate with the particle
in the indicative, and varying^

Pxelenfe^

iiiiii

iHHiliii

( 'H5 )

Prefent tenfe.

Eluli,

Imperfect,
Perfea,
Preterperfe£l:5
FirftAorift,

Elubuli,
Eluyeeli,
Eluyeebuli
Eluabuli,,

Second Aorift,
Firft Future,

Eluyeabuli
Eluali,

Second Future,

Eluyeali.

N. B. The Huilliches frequently ufe, inftead of eluyeen,
in the perfeft tenfe of the indicative, or eluyeeli, , in that of
the fubjun6live, eluvin and eluvili.

I remarked that, for the imperative, they frequently ufed
the future of the indicative, and fometimes in the third
perfon ; as, Elupe, Let him give,

A Moluche Indian, eating an oftrich's egg, and wanting
fait, I heard him fay, " Chafimota iloavinquin," Let me, eat
it with fait. Now iloavin is the lirft future, with the particle
vi interpofe<l, to fignify it. I do not knov/ whether quin is
anything more than a particle of ornament; as in the
word chafimota ; where the concluding fyllable ta is ufelefs,
but for the fake of the found ; as chafimo, without any ad-
dition, is the ablative cafe of chafi, fait.

The tenfes are conjugated, through, all their numberSj,,
with thefe terminations in the indicative prefent ;

Sing. n imi 7

Dual iu imu ingu.

Plural in im'n ingn

EXAMPLE.
Sing. Elun Eluimi Eluy

Dual Eluiu Eluimu Eluingu

Plural Eluin Eluim'n Eluing'n,.

( 136 )

111 the S U B J TJ N C T IV E.

Sing,
Dual
Plural

liu

iiin

limi

limu

lim'n

liy,

lingu.

ling'n.

E;:X A

L E.

>Sing.
Dual
Plural

Eluli

El'ulia

Eluliin

Elulimi Eluliy.

Elulimu Elulingii, ;

Elulfm^n Eluling'n.

In this manner all the other tenfes are conjugated.
N. B. The Second Aorift and the Second Future are only
ufed by the Picunches, and not by the Huilliches.

The infinitive mood is formed of the firft perfon of the
indicative, with the genitive of the primitive pronoun put
before, or a pofleflive pronoun, to fignify the perfon that
a6ls or fuffers, and may be taken from any of the tenfes: as^

Ni elun, _ I to give,

NiElubun, ' thou to give,

-■-%■' NiEluvin, &c. hetogix)e, ' ' :.,,

■ ' •'

The other poffeflives are mi, thine ; and n, his ; for thefe
are only ufed in the fingular.

There are two participles, formed in the fame manner as
the infinitive, to be conjugated through all the tenfes; the
one a6live, the other paffive :

A6live, EIulu,
jLiueij

the perfon giving,
the thing given.

idmt

^ - -V-A ■ . A. >»■>

■MMMIili

( 137 )

From tbefe are derived,

Elubulu, he that didgiue,
Eluyelu, Hz that has given,
Elualu, h4 that zuill give, ^

Eluabulu, he that was to give, ^
Elubuel, the thing that was given, _
Eluyeel, the thing that has been given,

Elual, &c. the thing that will he gwe7i.
Of all diefe, and of the aftive verbs, paffives are formed,
by adding the verb fubftantive, gen ; in which cafe, m all the
tenfes, the variation or declenfion changes the verb fubitan-
tive, the adjeftive verb remaining invariable.

EXAMPLE.

Elugen,
Elugebun,
Elugeli,
Elungcuyeeli,
Elungeali, Sac,

J have given,

I was given,

J can be given,

I may have been giveyi,

I Jhall have been given.

Anotlier acddent, which the verbs in this language fuffer,
is that of tranfidon: whereby they fignify, as well the per-
fon that a6h, as him on whom the adion pafTes, by the m-
terpofition or addition of certain determmate particles to ex-
r,refs it. This is common to them with thofe of Peru; but
the latter ufe diofe which are more difficult, and in a greater
number. I do not think that the languages of the nations
of the Puelches, of ihe Chaco. or the Guarames, have this
particular property. J do not ^ believe I can recollf them
all; but I fhall endeavour to give the beft account I can ot
thefe tranfitions. r^.

( 138 )

The tranfitions are fix in number ;
From me to thee ox you.
From you to me.
From him to me.
From Aiw to you,
From 77ie or jyow to him,
And the mutual, when it is reciprocal on both fides. ^
The firft tranfition is expreifed by eymi, eymu, and eim'n,
in the indicative; and elmi, elmu, and elm'n, in the fub-
junaive; and this runs through all the tenfes: as,
Elun, I give,

Elueymi, I give to you,
Elueymu, I give to you two,
Elueim'n, I or we give to you many.
And in the fubjun^ive,
Eluelmi,
Eluelmu,
ElueWn,
With their derivatives, the other tenfes.
The fecond tranfition is {xom you to me, and is expreflecJ
by the particle en; as eluen, you give to me; which has
glueiu and eluein, dual and plural.

The third tranfition from him to me,
Sing. Elumon,

Dual Elumoiu,

Plural Elumoin {when we are many ^

In the ftibjun6live it is,. ,

Sing. Elumoli,

Dual Elumoliyuj,

Plural Elumoliin.

The

( 139 )

The fourth tranfitiDn, from him to theCy Is formed by
adding eneu to the firft perfon fmgular ; as, ,

Elueneu, he gives to thee y

And eymu mo, eim'n mo, to the dual and pkiral ;

And in the fubjun^liyej,

Elmi mo,
Elrau ma,
Elm'n rno.

The fifth tranfition, ^vom me to thee, to this, ox that, or
Mm, is formed by the interpofition of the particle vi; as,

Eluvin-, ' , ^g^'i^e ^'^' ^^P^^Mfpf.

Eluvimi,

Eluvi,

Eluviyu,

Eluvimu,

Eluviu,

Eluvim'n,

:thougiveft him, ^^^^^

he giveth him^ ..,^^.J—.-
we or you two give to:
him, or give it. '

we many give to him,_ or give it.

The fubjun£live is Eluvili,

This I perceive to be foraething eq,uivocal with the per-
fea tenfe of the Huilliches: yet they like to ufe it, though
they themfelves know the impropriety of it. • "Nor is this the
only ground of equivocation in their- tongueifiwjiichis found
efpecially in the prepofitior^s; where one haying many fignifi-
cationsj the meaning is oftentimes very much confufed ; as
may be feeu: in the decHnadon of their nouns.

The fixth and laft tranfition is conjugated through alt the
numbers, moods, and tenfes, in th^ fame fnaimer.; ,^s,. the
fimple verbs, arid' is forhlefd^ by 5the iriterpofition'of the par-
ticle huu, or, as it is pronounced, wu ; as,

Eluhuun?

t ^40 )

Eluliuun, or
Euwun, •
Ayuwirnij

; Ayiahui,

I give to onyfetf^

■liOT

thou lovejl th^fdf,
lie loveth himfelf,
Ayuhuim*nj&c, you love one another.

They have another particular mode of compounding
^verbs, altering their fignifications, making affirmatives nega-
tives, neuters adives, and of lignifying and expreffing how
and in what manner the thing is done, by the interpolition
'©f prq)ofitions, adverbs, adjedives, &c. as,

Cupan, . . to come,

Naucupari, io come downwards.

tofall^

to make tojdl
to put ones mouth upwards ;

frompailla, mouth upwards, ^nd Quo^i to put.

Aucan, 'to rebel,

Aucatun, .io rebel over again,

Aucatuln, -to mah to rebel.

T an . > Jeath ox to die^

Langmn, "■ lo kiU, -^ ■ . , ■ -; ' ,

' ' to Kill Indians \

nottoloroh

Nag'n,

'Nagcumen,

Payllac'nonj

Langm'chen,
from langm'a, toMU

■U\'

Ayun,.
Ayulan,

Ven ^m^^^ to JeevW^^ ""^ ^^

.nam^v^ la is tbe ^gative. Thefe. w^rds are com-

-pounded into one, thus, pwmgelwn,: Ijmlmnot^onthis

manner^ ' ' ; xtii ci> ,/io /■ ^.

The

( HI )

The numeral words in this language are compleat, and
may be ufed to defcribe any number whatfoever,
Quine, one, Meli, four, Cayu, fix,

Epu, two,.. Kechu, fve, Selge, feven,

Quila, three,

Mari {or. MalTi as the Huilliches bave it) ten,
Pataca, a hundred, Huaranca, a thoufand.

The intermediate numbers are compofed as follows;
Maffi quine, eleven, Epu maffi epu, twenty two,

Maffiepu, twelve, Epu maffi quila, twenty three,

Maffi quila, thirteen, Quila pataca, three hundred,
Epumaffi, twenty, Selge pataca, fev en hundred.

A D V E R B S, i3c.
no.

The

Mu.

May,

Chay or Chayula,

Vule,

Tvou,

Vellu,

File,

AUu map%

NaU,

Huen«i»

Pule, ,

AUu puk,

Chumgechty

Vemgechi or vemgc,

yes,

to-day, or prefently
to-morrow^
here,
there,
- near,
afar off,

under, or downwards,
above, ^ '

againft,
difldnty

on what manner,
on this 'manner,

Mo, ©r meuj

;the Latin prepoiitions, tn,
contra, cum, per, oh, propter,
^ intra,

Cay, and Chay, placed after a noun, or, alone, and, perhaps,
^ Huecu/ ^ mthout,

O o ^°

( 142 )

To give fome further idea of this language, I ad^. the
following fpecimens of ito , ir - f-,..,

The SIGN of the C R O S S.

Santa eruz ni gnelmeu, inchin in pu
JBy thejign of the holy crofs, from our
. eaynemo montulmoin, Dios, inchin in,
eiumies deliver us, 0 God, our
Apo ; Chao, Votch'm cay, Spiritu Santo cayv
Lord; the Father.^ and Son, and the Holy Ghoji^
ni wimeu. Amen»
in the name oj. Amen*, ' .

The Beginning of the L O R D's PRAYER.

Inchin in Chao, huenumeuta m'leymf^
Our Father, in Heaven thou that arty -
ufchingepe mi wi ; eymi mi toquin. '
hallowed he thy name ; thy kingdom
inchinmo cupape ; eymi mi piel^
to us may it come ; thy will, -ili-
ehumgechi vemgey huenu-mapumo^
as it is done in Heaven, -

vemgechi cay vemengepe tue-mapumo ; Sc^s-
Jo likcwije may it he done- on earth \ Sci^in I

• '• ' ^

The Beginning of the C R E E Df/

Mupiltun Dios, Ghaomo vilpepilvoej huenii ;
I believe in God, the Father- Almighty, of Heaven
vemvoe, tue vemvde cay ;^^ inchin in Apo^

- 1^5 maker;, and of earth the maker alfo ; in pur Lord^ '
Jefu Chriftomo cay, veyni m'ten Votch'm, 5cc.

V^^ ^Esy s- CjiB-iST. alfa^ . - , hisj only Son, ■. £S(^m^ *:; I

t.1/-.

^-rjOuU

( 143 )

The Beginning of the Chrlfilan Doarlne.
4. Chumten Dios m'ley ? How many Gods are thtreT
A, Quine m'ten. One only,
Q. Chen m'ley ta Dios ? Where is God^
A Huenu-mapumo, tue-mapumo, In Heaven, in earth,
vill-mapumo fume cay, and in all the world where fo^ver
Q. Imy cam Dios ? Who is God ?
^. Dios Chao, God the Father, Dios Votch'm, God the Son,
Dios Spintu Santo ; cay quila Perfona geyum,
God the Holy Ghqjt;::, and being three Perfyrjl^^ .
^^iney Dios m^en, are one God enly^ 1 .wo ...i:^;
g. Chumgechi, quila Perfona geyum, quine m*ten ta Dios ^
ihw, being three Perjhns, God is one alone? "

: A^TvacH; quik Perfbna quine- -—/,

1 fieje three refjons have one only - '^vxi-^isi^i ,wm;;x-;.;, ;
gen-ngen, veyula quine mten ta Dio^.f"'"''"^
^^m, for this Gob is one alone,
J^fe%cipehg are accommodated to the Indian ex»-
preffion, and ^ mtermixediwith a few Spanifh words, whe^
J^ Indian .ck.m ^milifficlent, or might give a fklfe idea.
And this, with the fhort ^^ocabulary annexed, may fuffice to-
giv^a fmall butimperfcanptibn of this language. ..^ni '-^ ^
1 omit federal c^txio^ ^^ords, becaufc. they h^e hem
already explained, - - '. . 1 ^ "^'^' . ^'-^"^

(.:) ;m irdi -riri ,rtj;«v>ri;;-;.">

,tro>£n;'j-

t X

,^. Of

Jr;t,n ,0 );;:

fnj!;<.;:i;

T 7

^OCABU;

( 144 )

ii •

VOCABULARY.

T3 ' L L U, the foul, a fpjrit,
X Lonco, the head, the hair,
Az, the face.
N'ge, the eyes.
Wun or Huun, the mouth,
Gehuun, the tongue.
Yu, the nofe.
Vofo, the teeth, the bones,
Anca, the body.
Pue, the belly.
Cuugh, the hand.
Namon, the foot.
Pinque, the heart,
P'nen, a child,
Nahue, a daj4ghter.
Peni, a brother,

Penlhuen, own brothcrSi*, (^ Q^
Huinca, a Spaniarcj.
Seche, a neat I^di?in,
Pluenuy, a friend.
Caynie, an enemy.
Huincha, a head-fillet,
Makun, a mantle.
Lancattu, glafs-bea'ds.
'Cofque, bread.
Ipe, food. ;

In, or ipen, to eat.
Ilo, flefh.

Hon, to eat flefh, .

Putun, drink, t^-'drink,^^
P.i;ty.rnun:i, a ^LUg-_ ,
Glrika, wririhg. '

Chilean, tci write. , , ^ •■

Sengu, a,woi;d, language; alfo a thing,
H.iiayqui, a Ijinjce. ; I[ ^Lj>'.^'AiekiLi.ij V
Huayquitun, to lance. ' t • r."

Chinu, a knife, -a iv^p'^p^i ^^Hj

Qhip^9fcu;9,,tp.yow(^:i ^:

Chitigofquen, to be jvouhdfe

Conan, a foldier.

Conangean, he that ii to be a foldier*

ArtJon, to walk or go.

A nun, to fit.

Anupeum, a feat or ftool.

(. ■ . :;;r>om:

Anunmahuun, to feel inwardljr,

Foyquelhuun, to feelj or perceiv*,

Gpn'n, to enter.

Tipan, to go out.

Cupaln, to bring.

Entun, to take away,

Afeln, to be averfe,

Afelgcn, to hate.

M'len, to be, to poffefs.

Mongcn, life, to live,

Mongctun, to revive, • .

. Suam, the will.

Suamtun, to will,

Pepi, power.

PepUah, to be able.

Quimn, knowledge, to know»

Quiraelcan, to Jcach,

Pangi, a lion.

Choique, an oftrich.

Achahual, » cock or hen,
, ^alu, alargp lizard or iguana.

Cufa, a flone, an egg,

Saigven^ » flower*

Mily^ gold.

Jjierl, ftlver.;

Cullyin, money, payment,

Cullingen, to be rich.
, Cunnubal, jjp.or, miferable, an orpJba^,r-: p

Cum panHmie (tvd metal) copper:' "■ '^ ■

CJips^panillHi9 (yellow: met^J) fera&ff-, .jxIlo'IC'

Gepyn,' cployr, or paintiog> " '. «• ^ ~y
fSanja^, atr&dc^ an;?rtifice^. [ISLblll Sflj

Mamel, a tree, wood, - ■ ,• '.. r ,. /

Mamsl-faman, a carpenter, '-^ t«i vliS X>I i ^

^ucaj-faman, a h.ou.fe-builder.j'^ ,n ,., U '

Antuigh, thcfuftj a day, ; _ '" '

Cuyew <w-Kiye>*«» t|&mo<^) a f^^^^^ X

Tipahtu,' a yeai, ' . ' ' * -'. " '. " " . '--t ^

K'tal, fire. .DDnii:i(tX') VDi??". '^

Afee, hot. •''

Chofee, cold.

Atutuy, it it fhivering cold»

^:^'- >-:'-■

T H E E N D.

iii

Mmiii

[)

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